Sarai
by shaiewolf
Summary: A normal off world mission becomes anything but normal when SG-1 meets Sarai. Who is she, and what is her connection to the SGC?


"SARAI"

"SARAI"

SG-1 steps through the gate onto 3XC-181 to find trees surrounding the clearing where the Stargate is located. A well-worn path leads from the gate to disappear into the tree line. As the leader of SG-1, Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell came through the gate first and is standing at the base of the ramp, scanning the area. Teal'c is walking around behind the gate while Dr. Daniel Jackson and Lt. Col. Samantha Carter walk down the stone ramp in which the gate stands. When they reach Mitchell at the foot of the ramp, the four head out following the trail through the trees. Mitchell and Daniel take lead while Sam and Teal'c follow. Ten minutes into their walk they come across a small town with buildings lining the only obvious street. Most of the buildings appear to be houses except the much larger one located at the end of the road, which appears to be either a church or some type of meeting hall. Farmland and corrals of livestock surround the outskirts of town. Both men and women are out working in the fields. A group of children are playing what appears to be tag in the middle of the street. Near one of the houses a group of five men are talking in the shade offered by the house.

The team makes their way towards the group of men and everyone stops to watch the strangers stroll into their little town. As they draw near the men, one of them cautiously approaches. Daniel steps forward then. "Hello, I'm Daniel Jackson. This is Col. Mitchell, Col. Sam Carter, and Teal'c. We're peaceful explorers from the planet Earth."

"Greetings. I am Thoran. You came through the ring?" Daniel nods. "Welcome to Jalana." Thoran turns to the men with him. "This is our governor, Rylan and this is Setar, Arak and Borus." Each man nods towards the strangers as they are introduced. "We are about to have our noon day meal, will you join us?" The group exchanges glances and then Mitchell nods. "Very good. Please, this way." Thoran and the other men lead SG-1 towards the large building at the end of town. As they enter, they find a large room with round wooden tables and six chairs set up at each table.

Thoran leads them to one of the nearby tables. "Please sit, our meal will be served very soon." Others from town begin to fill the room and sit at various tables, visiting amongst themselves and glancing continuously at the strangers. Mitchell takes the seat next to Thoran and the others follow suit. Sam notices quickly that only men are present in the room. As she turns to question Thoran, a door opens and several women file out carrying plates. They stop at certain tables and set down the plates in front of the waiting men. Daniel catches a frown on Sam's face and knows what she's thinking. Before she can make a comment, a young woman with very blond, shoulder length hair approaches Thoran and sets a plate before him. "This is my daughter, Sarai." He tells the group. She nods shyly at the people before hurrying back through the door. Mitchell and Sam both watch her leave each wondering at her strange familiarity.

A minute later, Sarai returns with four plates and sets one before each of her fathers' guests. Sam thanks her and notices deep chocolate brown eyes as the girl nods and moves away. When she sets the plate before Mitchell, he smiles. "Thank you." She nods and smiles shyly before disappearing once more only to return with a single plate. She sits down beside her father and eats quietly with the group. As each group finishes their meal, the women at that table gather the dirty dishes and disappear, not to return again. When they finish eating, Sarai gathers their dishes and leaves the room. Mitchell watches her disappear then turns to Thoran, who has already started a conversation with Daniel about their culture. "It was nearly a generation ago when the Jaffa left our world suddenly. It was rumored that a war raged in a far away land. The Jaffa were called away to serve their god in battle. Many believed they would return when the war ended to return us to our work in the mine. Others believed they would not return because the mine was empty. After many years of waiting for their return, our people abandoned the mine and returned to our farmland. We've lived in peace ever since."

"We would like to see the mine. Will you take us there?" Daniel asks, as others begin to leave the banquet hall. "There is nothing left. The naquadah has run dry, there is no more. The last of it was brought out just before they left. Many now believe that the empty mine is the reason the Jaffa never returned."

"An empty mine is not reason enough for the Goa'uld to abandon a planet. More likely they were defeated in battle." Teal'c offers in his usual stoic manner.

After much discussion, Daniel manages to persuade Thoran to lead them to the mine. They set out along a narrow trail, Sam and Daniel in front with Thoran and Teal'c and Mitchell in back. Daniel questions Thoran more about their culture and history as they walk and they quickly arrive at the mine.

A single entrance, now collapsed from lack of maintenance extends into the hillside. Broken tools litter the area around the entrance and cobwebs add their color to the landscape. "As I said, it has been empty for a generation and no one has returned here in many years." They look around one more time then head back to town. As they follow the trail back to town, Sam catches glimpse of a small house among the trees. "Who lives here, so far from town?" She asks Thoran, who turns to look at the house again. "No one now. But up until four months ago, three strangers lived there. They were from another world and kept to themselves." His curiosity peaked, Daniel stops and looks at the house. "How do you know they were from another world?"

"I know most everyone living around here, even our neighbors to the North and the West, but they were from neither town."

"Any idea who they were?" Thoran shakes his head. "None. They never spoke to anyone, and anyone who got too close was sent away, sometimes forcefully. They came about two years ago. There were two men and a woman. It was right after they left that I found Sarai in their house." Mitchell turns to him then. "I thought she was your daughter?" Thoran nods. "She is, now. When I found her she was alone and scared. By the look of things, I'd say they'd left about a week before I found her. She was hungry so I took her home. I have no wife or children of my own, but she is my family now."

"Did they leave anything else behind?" Daniel asks then. "Only a mess. There are broken things scattered everywhere." The team heads towards the house, curious about who would come to a strange planet, live there for a short period of time without interacting with the natives and then leave, only to leave one of their own behind. As they approach the house, they find broken glass, metal and wood scattered around the yard. The door is broken and lying on the ground partway inside the house. Inside they find more broken materials as well as scraps of cloth and even paper. Sam picks up some of the papers but finds nothing that would reveal who had lived here. Walking around the house, she steps onto a board that creaks loudly. With a quick glance at her teammates, she kneels down and pries the board loose. Beneath the board, Sam finds a brown piece of cloth wrapped around something the size of a book. Lifting it up, she removes the cloth and finds the tattered brown cover of a journal. Calling her teammates, she opens the book to the first page. Daniel and Mitchell walk in to find Sam reading from the book. "Sam?" Daniel asks as they stop just inside the doorway.

Looking up from the book, Sam sees her friends and stands up. "It's written in English which indicates that whoever was here, probably came from Earth." She reads a little more and stops again. "There's a reference in here that confirms they were from Earth. It says that after carefully securing the samples they required they searched for a suitable planet very unlikely to be visited by the SGC. They had several options but finally decided on Jalana, claiming it's primitive state would offer them cover for their experiments."

"Looks like they chose wrong." Mitchell chimes in before leaving the room to scout the surrounding area, Teal'c close behind him. Sam flips through several pages before tucking the journal into her pack for later. She then continues her search around the house. Finding nothing else of interest, she and Daniel leave the crumbling building to find Mitchell and Teal'c nearby.

Leaving the mess behind, they head back towards town. While Teal'c and Daniel take the lead, Mitchell and Sam question Thoran more about the strangers. "Do you remember what these three looked like?"

"Yes. The two men had dark hair but the woman's hair was red. The two men wore dark trousers and coats with white shirts. They never smiled and rarely spoke, except to each other. The woman was shorter than the men but wore clothing similar to them. She must have been the wife of one of the men because about a year after they arrived, she became large with child. I never once saw the child, though, so either it died or they kept it inside."

"Did they ever go into town for food or supplies?"

"No. I never saw a garden either but they got food from the ring."

"From the ring?" Thoran nods. "Yes. Once a month they would walk to the ring and it would open up and boxes would come through. They carried the boxes back to their house."

"If they never interacted with the townspeople, how is it that you know so much about them?" Thoran looks away for a moment. "I became intrigued by their being here and began to watch them as often as I could. One day I followed them to the ring. I saw the boxes and followed them back to see if they'd open one. That is when I saw the food. It was strange, but definitely food."

"Strange, how?"

"It came in smaller boxes and at first I did not know what it was, but when they opened one of the boxes and ate part of it, then I knew."

"Has she ever said anything about them?" Thoran shakes his head. "I've asked many times but she refuses to speak of it. At times she seems almost afraid to talk about them and she refuses to go near that house."

They walked in silence the rest of the way back and upon arriving were invited to the evening meal. Again the men gathered in the banquet hall and the women served the food, joining the men after everyone else had food. Sarai sat beside her father and was quiet during the meal but Mitchell noticed that she was listening to their conversation and occasionally she'd glance up at him from her plate but looked away when he looked over at her. Taking a moment to study her face, he notices something very familiar about her. Sarai definitely reminds him of someone, but he can't quite place who it is.

After the dishes and the women are gone, Thoran turns to the visitors. "It is nearing the time for sleep. The house next to mine is empty and you are welcome to use it. Sarai will show you."

"Thank you, Thoran. We appreciate your kindness." Sarai arrives then and her father speaks to her for a moment. Sam catches her glance towards Mitchell before lowering her eyes again. When her father finishes, she nods. "If you will follow me?" She heads towards the door. "Good sleep." Thoran calls as they leave. Daniel returns the farewell and they follow Sarai to the house located near the middle of the town. "You may use this house during your stay here. These two belong to my father." She stops beside Sam and faces the group. Mitchell looks up at her and stares in stunned disbelief.

"Mitchell." Daniel nudges him in the side. "What?" He turns to look at Daniel and then back at Sam and Sarai. "Is something wrong?" He shakes his head. "Thank you." Turning, he enters the house, his mind reeling at the very close resemblance to Col. Carter. Ignoring the strange thoughts racing through his mind, he looks around the room to find two chairs in the main room and dust covering every surface including the wood floor. "Well, it ain't much." He mumbles as the others join him. Daniel steps into another room. "I found the sleeping area. Unfortunately, there are only two beds."

"Two get the beds tonight, the other two tomorrow night." Mitchell decides as Sam sits down on one of the chairs and pulls out the journal. Quickly engrossed in the book, she pays no attention to the three men. Teal'c takes watch at the door while Daniel lays claim to one of the beds. Mitchell sits in the other chair.

"This is incredible. They acquired several different samples from Earth and came here to produce a harsesis. They must have gained access to the Goa'uld that temporarily resided on Earth. There is no mention of DNA splicing, but it does reference fertilization which means they had living sperm and egg samples and were trying to artificially grow a harsesis from two Goa'uld hosts and added nanites from Argos to force rapid age growth." After a short pause, she continues. "According to this, the doctor conducting these experiments had a surrogate to carry the fertilized egg to term. He specifies several attempts to implant an egg and sperm to fertilize naturally all ending in failure but goes on to say he had better success with fertilization before implantation and"

"Carter, if you don't mind, I think we all would prefer the short version." Mitchell snaps suddenly, his impatience clear in his tone. Sam looks up from the book. "This book contains every detail of the experiments done on this planet and somehow Sarai is a part of it. I saw her name mentioned in here at least twice. She's related to whatever they were doing here and she may know something."

"Well, tomorrow we can ask her about it. Tonight, how about some sleep." Walking into the other room, Mitchell claims the second bed. "Guess I get the floor tonight." Sam mumbles to herself. "I heard that." Mitchell replies, still clearly annoyed. "Tomorrow the bed is mine." She throws back at him, a smirk sounding clearly in her voice. "We'll see." She hears. "All right, don't make me separate you two." Daniel finally intervenes, bringing silence to the house.

Just after sunrise the small town becomes active with people bustling every which way. Mitchell and the team leave the house and enjoy the warmth of the sun. "Carter, about last night. I know the information in that book can prove who was here and why. I'm sorry." Sam smiles at his apology. "Me, too. I'll try to keep the details to a minimum and just pass on what's important." After a moment they both look at Daniel. He just looks back at them and then sighs. "Okay, I'm sorry, too." Sam smiles and as she walks by she replies. "No, you're not." Daniel looks at her and then at Mitchell. "She's right, I'm not."

Thoran arrives then. "Good morning friends. Was the house adequate?"

"Sure." Mitchell offers. "Good. Shall we attend the morning meal?" Thoran asks then. They nod and follow him to the banquet hall where the women serve breakfast and then join their families. After breakfast, Teal'c and Daniel head towards the gate to check in with General Landry. As they head out Daniel turns back to them. "Can you two behave while we are gone?" Sam laughs and Mitchell smirks as they watch the two disappear into the trees. "Comedian. Ha." Sam laughs again then pulls a chair into the sunlight to read more of the journal. Mitchell takes the opportunity to mingle.

By the time Teal'c and Daniel return, Sam has read over a third of the journal. As the team gathers near the house, she informs them of her findings. "So far all it documents is the numerous failed attempts at implantation. It has yet to mention where he acquired the samples or how. So far it seems they've made at least three dozen attempts before they had a successful fertilization. None of them attached to the uterus wall but it seems he's about to reach a break through."

"Where does Sarai fit into all of this?" Daniel ponders aloud. "I'll know more soon, I hope."

"Good. Keep reading. I'm going to see if Sarai knows anything that she's willing to share." Mitchell walks away from the group. "I think I'll have a chat with Thoran." Daniel adds before also leaving. Teal'c remains at the house with Sam.

An hour later Mitchell returns. "Any luck?" He shakes his head. "Couldn't find her. I'm going back to the house, though. Want to see if there's anything that we overlooked the first time. Teal'c, you look like you could use something to do. Let's go." Teal'c nods and the two walk away, leaving Carter alone to read.

Mitchell and Teal'c arrive at the house but Teal'c stops Mitchell as he takes a step closer. "I believe there is someone inside." Teal'c informs him. They instinctively move a hand to their weapons, then quietly move closer. Mitchell peers through the door and finds nothing. He signals Teal'c to cover the door before moving inside the house. Reaching the second room, Mitchell finds Sarai kneeling over the open floorboard. When his boot crunches on broken glass, she jumps and spins around to face him. "Sorry, we didn't mean to startle you. I'm Cameron Mitchell." Without leaving her spot on the floor, Sarai watches him move towards her.

"I know, my father told me."

"What are you doing up here?" He asks her, kneeling nearby. She points to the hole in the floor. "My book is gone."

"Your book?" She nods. "I hid it here after he said they were leaving."

"Why did they leave you behind?"

"He said that I belong here, that this is my home. I asked to go with them but they refused. I followed them the first time so they locked me inside." Mitchell sees clearly her fear and unease as she explains what happened. "What book did you hide here?"

"He wrote in it every day but never let me see it. When he said they were leaving, I found it and hid it here. I was going to return and read it but father has kept me very busy. Now it is gone."

"It's not gone. We found it and Sam has it with her. She's reading it." Sarai looks up at him. "Why?"

"It may tell us who you are, where you came from and why they brought you here."

"They did not bring me here. The woman had me here." Mitchell stares at her. "That isn't possible. Thoran told us they'd stayed here only two years. He did mention the woman being pregnant about a year after their arrival but the baby would only be about a year old."

"It was me. I grew up here, I remember." Teal'c enters the room then, causing Sarai to panic and flee. Mitchell stands up and watches her departure. "I do not believe she can be telling us the truth." He informs Mitchell. "I agree. Let's go see if Sam has found anything useful from that journal yet." They return to the house to find Daniel already back.

"Find anything useful?" Sam asks as the two men reach the house. "Actually, we found Sarai. She had an interesting story. Find anything in there?" He asks, pointing at the book. "Yes. What interesting story?" She asks, changing the subject. Mitchell pulls up the empty chair while Teal'c moves towards the door. "She claims to have been born on this planet one year ago from the woman that traveled with the two men. Says she grew up here and when they told her they were leaving, she tried and failed to go with them so she stole the doctor's book and hid it in the hole where you found it." Sam heard clearly the disbelief in his voice as he finished the story. "Well, she's right."

"What?"

"It's all here. They finally had success and the woman carried to term. She delivered a healthy baby girl with brown eyes and blond hair whom they named Sarai. Using the nanites, they rapidly aged her from an infant to an adult in about six months. She was constantly tested for signs of being a harsesis and they taught her to read and write as well as the basics for survival here. Her story does fit what I've read so far. I'm only a few pages from where he stopped writing so it shouldn't take too long to finish it."

"Good. Let's see what else it says." Sam returns to reading the book and twenty minutes later, she closes the book. "There isn't much reference to her at the end. It mostly covers what he learned. She's definitely not a harsesis and she has no genetic memory but the nanites were a success and were deactivated upon her reaching adulthood. That's just about it. There was one reference to something about former hosts but it was vague at best. I'd definitely like to reread it, though."

"Well, she isn't a harsesis. Can two Goa'uld hosts produce a normal child?"

"I do not believe so." Teal'c offers the group. "Then at least one of her parents was human." The small group sits in silence, each pondering what they have learned. "Perhaps we should consider taking her back with us." Sam suggests later. "She's from Earth, or at least her parents were. She might know something that we can use to help figure out who these people were."

"I agree with Sam." Daniel adds. "Let's see what General Landry has to say." They agree so Mitchell and Teal'c head out to report their findings. While they are gone, Thoran arrives. "Where are Col. Mitchell and Teal'c?"

"They went back to the gate to talk to the general. They will return shortly."

"Ah. Well, it is time for the noon meal. Shall we attend?" Sam and Daniel exchange a glance before following Thoran to the banquet hall. They arrive as Mitchell and Teal'c return. "Landry has agreed. If she wants, she can return with us."

"Okay. After lunch, I'll try talking to her, maybe convince her to return with us." They eat their meal then Sam goes in search of Sarai.

She finds her at her house, working in the garden. When she sees Sam she stops. "Good day, Colonel Carter." She calls out, still somewhat shy. "Good day, Sarai." She stops a short distance from Sarai and offers her a smile. "Can we talk for a few minutes?" She finally asks. Sarai nods and walks towards the house. Pointing at one chair, she sits in the other one. Sam takes the offered chair. "I've read the book." Sarai looks up at Sam, her brown eyes filled with hope, wonder, and fear. "Did you know that it's about you?"

"Me?" Sam nods. "I was not sure, but I believed that it might be, because he never told me what was in it. I would have read it, if I'd have gone back before you came."

"You can still read it if you want to." She hesitates, as if pondering the idea then shakes her head. "Is it bad stuff that he wrote?"

"Not really. Mostly it talks about how you came to be, how you were born and what they taught you, things like that."

"Oh." They sit in silence for several minutes before Sam speaks. "Sarai. According to the book, those people came here from Earth. It's possible that your real parents were from there, too. We'd like you to return with us to Earth so we can find the people responsible for this. We."

"NO." She utters suddenly before hurrying back to the field, leaving Sam sitting alone watching her hurry away.

"I take it things didn't go well." Daniel comments as Sam walks back to the house. "She seemed interested until I mentioned going to Earth. Then she took off."

"She's scared. We can try again in the morning before we leave." Mitchell offers. They silently agree then turn when someone knocks on the door. Being closest, Teal'c walks over and opens the door, revealing Sarai standing there. She smiles shyly at Teal'c then Daniel who is also close to the door. When she looks at Carter her smile is tense but seems to ease a bit when she finally looks at Mitchell. Her gaze remains locked with his as she delivers her message. "My father has asked me to tell you that it is time for the evening meal. He asks that you join him in the hall." Mitchell offers her a smile. "Thank you. We will be there momentarily." She smiles at him again before disappearing into the dark.

Mitchell stands up but looks at his teammates when they do not move to follow him. He finds Sam smirking at him. "What?" She shakes her head. "What?" He asks again, after seeing Daniel with a similar look on his face. Daniel just turns and walks out the door with Teal'c behind him. Turning to Sam, he asks again. "What?" She grins. "Perhaps you should talk to her about going back to Earth with us." Then with another chuckle, Sam catches up with Daniel and Teal'c. Mitchell watches them walk away for a second before hurrying to catch up with them. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"We all noticed the way she kept smiling at you." Daniel points out, as if it were obvious to the whole world. "Cute, guys. Very cute." They reach the banquet hall and quickly join Thoran at the table. When Sarai brings them their plates, Mitchell catches her watching him and begins to suspect that perhaps Sam and Daniel had more truth to their point than he'd given them credit for.

The team retires to the house after the meal to further discuss the situation. "We need to find out who is behind this and put a stop to it. Who knows if there are more like her out there somewhere? Even if there aren't, we need to be sure this doesn't happen again."

"According to Landry, the NID have been on a low profile the past little while. Could they have anything to do with this?"

"It is an option we can't rule out just yet."

Further deliberation led them to try once more in convincing Sarai to return with them. In agreement, they turn in for the night, the last night they will have on Jalana.

Morning dawns bright and warm, in the distance they can see rain clouds. They join Thoran for the morning meal then while the others gather their things; Mitchell goes in search of Sarai. He finds her sitting outside her house, sewing up a hole in Thoran's shirt. She smiles when she sees him. "Good morning, Cameron Mitchell." She greets with a smile. "Good morning, Sarai." She motions at the chair beside her. "Thoran isn't here, but he should return soon." Mitchell takes the chair. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you." Sarai stops her sewing and looks over at Mitchell. "Of course." Setting the shirt aside, she offers him her full attention.

"I know that Sam already talked to you yesterday but we are leaving today and wanted to offer you the chance to return with us. We want to find the people responsible and stop them before they leave others like they left you." He watches, waiting for her to bolt, but she doesn't. She remains quiet for a long moment. "Are my real parents really from your world?"

"We're not sure, but right now it looks like they might be."

"Could I find them?"

"Is that what you want, to find your real parents?" She nods slowly. "There is a chance that they are not on Earth in which case we won't find them. Or, they could be dead which means we won't find them anyway. But, we could try." Sarai hesitates then smiles. "I want to try to find them."

"Okay. I will see what we can do." She smiles.

Explaining to Thoran why she was leaving didn't take as long as one would imagine. He seemed sad to see her go but knew that she belonged with her real family. They bid farewell and Sarai followed the team towards the Stargate. Mitchell walks with her, while Teal'c, Sam and Daniel take lead. As the others disappear from view, he realizes that she's slowing down. When she stops, he turns to face her. "You can change your mind if you want. It's okay to stay." She looks up at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm scared." She finally admits, as the tears spill onto her cheeks. Mitchell gently touches her arm and she goes to him, putting her head against his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist. Somewhat uncomfortable at first, he finally relaxes and wraps his arms around her, letting her cry. After a moment, he tries to reassure her. "It will be okay. Even if we can't find your parents, you won't be alone. We will take care of you. We might even be able to bring you back here." She pulls away enough to look up at him. "I am sorry." She says then, pulling away completely. "There's nothing to be sorry about. I will walk you back if you wish to stay."

"No. I will go with you." She straightens and they walk again. When they reach the gate, the others are waiting. "Dial it up." He calls.

Daniel dials Earth then Sam sends the iris code. "Let them know we're on our way." He tells them. Sam nods and follows Daniel and Teal'c through the gate. When they reach the event horizon, Sarai hesitates, looking unsure. "It's easy. Here." He extends his hand towards her and after a moment's hesitation, she takes it. Together they walk through the gate.

As they reach the other side and are crowded by people, Sarai's hand tightens on his. He gives her hand a reassuring squeeze as she moves closer to his side, looking nervously around at all the strange faces. "General Landry, this is Sarai. Sarai, this is General Landry. And, this is Dr. Lam."

"Hello Sarai, welcome to earth." Sarai smiles shyly at them, staying close to Mitchell's side. "Hello Sarai. Will you come with me to the infirmary? We need to do a checkup." Sarai looks up at Mitchell, who nods his reassurance. When she hesitates, Mitchell turns to General Landry. "Sir, if you don't mind, I'll accompany her to the infirmary." Landry nods so Mitchell leads Sarai out of the gate room and down the hallway to the infirmary where Dr. Lam does a thorough exam. "Well, so far you are in perfect health. I just need to take a blood sample and we'll be finished."

Though he had to stand out of the way, Mitchell has remained close throughout the process and upon the doctor's approval, he leads her to the quarters where she'll be staying. "This is your room now. It isn't much, but it's all we have right now." He opens the door and lets her go in before following, closing the door behind them. She looks around the small room at the bed on the right and the dresser against the back wall. A chair sits beside the bed and a lamp sits on an end table on the opposite side of the bed. The only other furniture in the room is a desk and chair opposite the bed.

Sarai walks over and sits on the bed, looking around again. Mitchell follows, sitting on the chair. After a minute of silence, he looks up at her. "I have to attend the debriefing." At her curious look, he explains. "It's a meeting with General Landry telling him what we found on our mission. After the meeting, we'll get something to eat, all right?" She nods slowly and follows him to the door. "There will be someone right outside the door so if you need anything just ask." She nods again and watches him leave.

He arrives at the briefing room to find everyone else already there. "Is she settling in okay?" General Landry asks as he enters and takes a seat next to Sam. "As well as can be expected, I suppose. She's unsure about being here and hasn't said much since we arrived."

"Well, we'll try to make her as comfortable as possible and hopefully she'll settle in soon." Turning their attention to the mission, they discuss what they found, or rather, didn't find on the planet and then move on to the journal. "I've read it through once and have started reading it again. There are a few details I seem to have overlooked the first time. It may be possible to track down where they acquired the samples from but I'll need a little more time to read through it." Landry nods. "I took a blood sample and it's been sent to the lab for analysis. We should have the results in a day or two." Dr. Lam informs them.

"Good. In the mean time, she'll have to stay on base with a twenty-four hour guard posted at the door." They nod in acknowledgement. "If that's it?" Everyone nods again. "Dismissed." Landry and Dr. Lam leave then and the others soon follow. Sam heads back to her lab to continue reading the journal while Daniel and Teal'c head towards the commissary.

Mitchell leaves the briefing room last and goes directly to Sarai's quarters. Knocking, he waits only a second before she opens the door, greeting him with a smile. "Are you ready for dinner?" He asks and gets a nod and another smile. They walk to the commissary where they find Daniel and Teal'c. Getting their food they join the two at the table. "Hello, Sarai." Daniel offers with a smile. She smiles back. "Hello Dr. Jackson."

"Daniel." He smiles again. "Daniel." She repeats. As they eat, Sam arrives and soon joins them. "Have you found anything else in the journal?" Mitchell asks as she sits down. "Not yet, but I'm only about halfway through it." Conversation fades into casual talk as they finish their meals and then head off to finish their own projects.

Finished eating, they walk back towards Sarai's quarters. "Thank you for dinner." She offers after a moment of silence. "Your welcome." They enter her quarters and Sarai looks around slowly then turns back to face him. "Will I have to stay here all the time?"

"Just until we find out who is responsible for this and make sure that you aren't in any danger." She looks around the room again. "Must I stay in here until then?" He tries to offer a sympathetic smile. "Only for a little while longer but I'll see about bringing you something to do. Maybe a book to read?"

"Yes. I would like that." He nods, says goodnight and leaves.

The next morning, he arrives at her door with a few books. When she opens the door, she smiles at him then smiles wider at the books. "Thank you." She says, looking at each cover carefully. "Hungry?" She nods, sets the books aside and follows him to the commissary. After breakfast, Sarai returns to her quarters to read while Mitchell goes to Landry's office to join the rest of SG-1 and the doctor.

"I finished the journal and found a note in the back." Sam is saying as he walks in. Sitting down, he waits for her to continue. "It mentioned the samples. Apparently they were stolen, from the clinic here in Colorado Springs." The doctor looks up then. "Any idea how long ago?" Sam shakes her head. "It doesn't specify, however, according to the date on some of these, I'd say it was about three years ago."

"Three years ago." Dr. Lam speaks up then and Sam nods. "Then I'm going to assume it isn't a coincidence that three years ago several SGC personnel samples disappeared from the clinic right after they did the tests on how gate travel is affecting the human body."

"I remember the tests, but no one mentioned any samples being taken." Sam inquires. "They claimed to have just misplaced the samples but none of them were ever found again. A report was filed and that was it."

"How many samples were missing?"

"I don't have an exact number but I can have the clinic forward me a copy of the report. I do know that all of SG-1, SG-2 and SG-11 were taken."

"We need a copy of that report. Dismissed." Dr. Lam nods and everyone leaves. Sam accompanies the doctor to her office. After making a phone call, she turns to Sam. "They will have it sent by this afternoon."

When the report arrives, Dr. Lam informs the general who gathers the group in his office again. "There were twenty seven samples missing but four of them were later found. All of SG's 1, 2, and 11 along with several individual SGC personnel were taken. The remaining twenty three were never recovered."

"If those missing samples were stolen and used for the experiments?" Landry begins. "Then Sarai is the daughter of two SGC personnel." Dr. Lam finishes for him. "That doesn't make any sense, sir. The journal clearly states that they were trying for a harsesis. Only two Goa'uld hosts can produce a harsesis and last time I checked, there were no Goa'uld working here."

"Because she isn't a harsesis, we know that at least one of her parents wasn't a host and since those samples disappeared right about that same time, we need to rule out the possibility that one of our people was used as a donor." Everyone in the room looks around at each other and then back at the General. "Test her against all the personnel whose samples were stolen. If her biological parent is here, we need to find them."

"I'll put a rush on it, but it will still take a day or two."

"Well, lets get started then." Dr. Lam nods and the group heads off to their work.

Mitchell finds Sarai reading one of the books he'd brought her. "It tells about the stars in the sky and constellations, shapes made by star groups." She tells him excitedly. He smiles. "Are you hungry?" She nods and sets down the book before following him to the commissary.

Two days later, the doctor informs General Landry that half of the test results came back. "They are still testing SG-1 and SG-11 but the others came back and they are all negative."

"Good. Tell me the moment the others come in."

"I will." She returns to her office where she finds Sam waiting for her. "Only half of the tests have come back." She tells Sam, walking into her office. "So far they are all negative."

"Whose are still out?" Sam asks, hiding the concern she's feeling. "SG-1 and SG-11. They had a problem with one of the tests and had to run them again. They should be in tomorrow. There is something else, though. I've already talked to General Landry but you might want to see this." She hands a folder to Sam, who opens it and begins reading. After a moment, she looks up. "This confirms what the journal mentioned, about nanites and they are inactive."

"Keep reading." The doctor insists. "Naquadah?" Sam asks after a moment and the doctor nods. "She has naquadah in her blood?" She nods again. "That means that one of her parents is a host."

Mitchell knocked on Sarai's door and a few seconds later she opened it, the astronomy book in her hand. Looking up at him, she smiles. "Hi."

"Hi. Are you ready for dinner?" She nods, sets the book on the table and steps into the hallway. As they walk, she tells him what she's read in her book, the excitement clear on her face. They reach the commissary, get their food and sit down at an empty table. They eat in silence then clear their dishes and head back to her quarters. "Could we go outside?" She asks suddenly. He turns to look at her. "I want to look at the stars." She smiles and looks away. "I don't know. I'll have to clear it with Landry first." She nods and waits in her quarters until he returns. "Landry cleared you but we can't stay too long."

Excited, she follows him to the surface and immediately notices the clear blue star-studded sky. "It is so beautiful." She says mostly to herself, taking in the sight above her. Leaning against a nearby rock, Mitchell watches her slowly walk around looking up at the stars. Twenty minutes later they walk back to her quarters where they stop at her door. "I'm going to bed. If you need anything, there is a guard posted outside your door. I'll stop by in the morning for breakfast, alright?" She nods. "Good night, Cameron." He smiles. "Good night, Sarai."

The following afternoon, everyone gathered in the briefing room. Having been with Sarai, Mitchell is the last to arrive and finds General Landry and the doctor along with the rest of SG-1, all of SG-11 and Major General Jack O'Neill there also. "All of you have been briefed on what's going on so we'll get started." Landry begins, turning to the doctor. "The results of the DNA tests have arrived." She opens the envelope and pulls out the folder. She reads a little bit and then looks up. "Well, they ran the tests twice to confirm their results and the tests came back 99.9 so we can safely say the results will be accurate. They noted that the naquadah in her blood came from one of her parents and verify that she's never been a host herself. She."

"Oh for crying out loud, will you please just get to the point?" Jack insists, clearly annoyed. Dr. Lam looks over at him then returns to the folder in front of her. "All of SG-11 came back negative." She reads a little more. When she looks up, there's a strange hint of shock and disbelief in her eyes. "According to these test results, Sarai's biological parents are General O'Neill and Colonel Carter."

A murmur fills the room and everyone looks at the couple, sitting together next to General Landry. Sam's eyes widen in shock and Jack opens his mouth to speak but then closes it again. Landry speaks up then. "Thank you. Everyone except SG-1 and Jack are dismissed." They leave the room quickly and quietly. "How is that possible? A harsesis is from two Goa'uld hosts. Why would they believe they could get a harsesis from two humans?" Daniel asks, clearly unsure about the results. "Former hosts." Sam manages to say. "That was mentioned once in the journal but it was vague and didn't seem important."

"Col. Carter was once the host of Jolinar." Teal'c informs the group. "What about Jack?" Daniel asks then remembers. "Kanan." Jack's mouth curves into a deep frown, his dislike of the Tok'ra still very evident. "Are you sure the results are accurate?" Sam asks, her voice shaky.

"Positive. They were ran twice to be sure." Sam turns to look at Jack, whose own shock is clear on his face. "Why would they do this? What could they possible have to gain from us?"

"Well, according to what you read in the journal, it seems that the people responsible had the idea that two former hosts could produce a harsesis." The room remained quiet for several minutes before Landry spoke up. "Let's give them a few minutes to talk about this." Everyone nods and all but Jack and Sam leave the room. When they're alone, Jack turns to Sam, still in shock. After a moment, the shock turns to anger. "How could they do this? We have a daughter but strangers raised her, people who intended only to use her for their own gain. She's already grown up. Our own child and we missed her entire childhood; she didn't even have a childhood. They did this without thinking about any of us. They didn't care that she'd grow up without her real family, and what about us? We find out now that we have a daughter, a daughter that someone had without our knowledge and raised themselves." Jack stays at her side, offering silent support until she finally calms down.

"We'll find out who is responsible and make sure they can't do it again." He promises her. She turns to him. "How can you be so calm about this?" Leaving her chair, Sam walks a short distance away then turns to face him. "Who knows what kind of things they put her through while we went on with our lives never knowing the truth." As the anger subsides, it leaves behind only sadness. Sam stops and looks up at Jack. He can see clearly that she's fighting back the tears.

He walks over and looks into her soft blue eyes. "Come here." He says and she goes willingly into his open arms, gathering strength and comfort from his embrace.

"There is no excuse for what they did to us, or to" He hesitates for a second. "Our daughter. All we can do now is give her what we can." Her head resting on his shoulder, she nods slowly. "You're right. We need to tell her, she has a right to know the truth. Then she can live at home, where she belongs, and we'll find the people who did this."

"Yes, we will find them." Jack promises then.

Across the base, Mitchell sits in his quarters, trying to sort through everything he's just learned. Who would have done something like this and why? What could they possibly want? What will happen if they discover that Sarai is now on Earth? A page to Landry's office interrupts his thoughts. He arrives quickly and finds Jack and Sam both already there. Taking a seat he waits for Teal'c and Dr. Lam to arrive. When everyone is present, Jack informs them of their decision. "We've talked about what would be the best thing for everyone and we've decided that Sarai needs and deserves to know the truth." Everyone nods in silent agreement.

"We are going down to talk to her, just the two of us, and explain what we've learned." Sam continues. "We are going to offer her the chance to live with us. If she'd prefer, we'll let her return to Jalana. The final decision will be hers, but we are going to offer her the chance to stay with us."

Jack and Sam left the room and walked towards Sarai's quarters while the others wandered off to keep busy. Mitchell starts heading towards Sarai's quarters but turns and goes to his own.

They stop outside the door and knock. The face that greets them quickly loses her smile and she scans the hallway before looking at her two visitors. Jack looks at the young woman standing in the doorway and is amazed at the resemblance she has to her mother, her blond hair, her basic facial structure, and even her smile. He also notices that her eyes are the same shade of brown as his own. "Col. Carter, how are you?" She asks somewhat nervously, unsure why the woman is here. "I'm alright, thanks. Sarai, I want you to meet Major General Jack O'Neill." She smiles and takes his offered hand. "It is nice to meet you, Sarai." Jack says. "Can we come in?" Sam asks after a moment of silence. Sarai nods and steps aside. They walk into the room and find chairs to sit in. Closing the door, Sarai takes a seat on the bed and looks up at her two visitors. A strained silence follows before Sam finally manages to speak. "We came here because we want to tell you that we found your parents, your real parents." Sarai looks up at them both, hope and fear reflected in her brown eyes. "Where are they?" She asks, her voice shaky and almost inaudible. They look at each other and then back at her. "Your parents are right here." She looks confused for a moment and then looks closer at Sam. "You, you are my parents?" She asks. Sam nods, a single tear escaping to slide down her cheek. Jack reaches over and takes Sam's hand in his, giving a gentle squeeze for reassurance. Sarai looks again and sees her face reflected in Sam's nervous smile.

After the initial shock wore off, they explained what happened and what they knew. "We are going to find the people responsible and make sure it doesn't happen again."

"So, what will happen to me now?" Sam smiles warmly at her. "Well, that is up to you. We know that it's going to be hard but we will support you in whatever decision you make. If you want to return to Jalana, we'll take you back. But, you can also stay here."

"Here, on this base?"

"Well, here on Earth. Jack and I have a house not far from here and there's a spare room if you want it. We both would love to have you come live with us. We also have another young woman living there. Cassandra's mother died a couple years ago so she's staying with us now. She is gone to college during the week and home on weekends and Jack works out of town so he's gone a lot, too. But I'll be there when I'm not working here." She pauses for a moment. "It's up to you. You can think about it, alright?" Sarai nods but says nothing. "We'll let you alone to think about things. If you need anything, just ask the guard to call one of us, okay?" She nods again and they leave her alone. Sarai remains seated on her bed staring at the wall. My parents, my real parents. What do I do now? Will they really accept me, or am I just going to be in their way?

She is still sitting on her bed when Mitchell arrives for dinner a few hours later. He knocks but gets no response. Knocking again, he turns to the guard. "Did she leave with Col. Carter or General O'Neill?"

"No, sir. They left a few hours ago but she remained behind."

"Thank you, airman." Knocking again he slowly opens the door. When he sees her sitting on the bed, staring at the floor with tears in her eyes, he walks inside and sits down beside her. "Sarai?" He asks, trying to hide the concern in his voice. She looks up slowly until their eyes meet, then suddenly she throws her arms around his neck and cries. Wrapping his arms around her, he holds her until her sobbing eases. Slowly running his hand over her back, he waits until she's ready to talk. "They found my parents." She mumbles, her head resting on his shoulder. "I should be happy."

"Aren't you?"

"I don't know. It is what I wanted, but what am I to do now?" Pulling away she looks into his eyes. "They said I could return to Jalana." He gets a sudden overwhelming feeling of dread but he ignores it. "If that is what you want, we can take you back."

"They also said I could stay with them, live in their house."

"Is that what you want?" She shrugs. "I don't know." Returning her head to his shoulder, she relishes the feel of his arms around her while her thoughts replay what has happened today. "I want to stay." She says after several minutes. "I will live with them." She adds.

"Good. Do you want to talk to her about it?" She nods against his chest. After another minute she pulls away. "Can we eat first?" He nods then waits while she washes her face.

They walk to the commissary and eat quietly, casual conversation at a minimum. After dinner, when they reach her quarters, he stops. "I'll find Col. Carter and have her stop by, okay?" Sarai nods and Mitchell walks towards Sam's lab. "Hey, Cam." She says as he walks in. "Hi Sam. How you doing?" Sam smiles. "I'm doing alright, I guess. The shock has wore off and now I'm just dealing with what's left."

"I can only imagine." She nods. "Sarai would like to talk to you, when you have a free minute."

"Thanks. I could use a break, I think I'll head over now." She turns and heads for the door. "Sam." Stopping, she turns back to face him. "If you need anything."

"Thanks." He nods and she disappears out the door.

Sam knocks and Sarai opens the door, clearly uneasy. "Hi." She offers, trying to ease the tension. Sarai smiles. "Hi."

"Can I come in?" Sam asks after a couple seconds. Sarai nods and steps aside, opening the door further to allow Sam to enter. Inside, Sam takes a seat on a chair while Sarai closes the door then walks over and sits on the bed. "How are you?" She asks, trying to end the silence. "I'm alright." Sarai answers. "Are you comfortable? Do you need anything?"

"I'm alright." She repeats. After an awkward moment of silence, Sarai finally speaks. "I, um. I wanted to tell you that I've decided I want to stay, here, with you." Sam let out the breath she'd been holding and smiled. "I'm glad that you want to stay. I've already cleared it with General Landry. You can go home with me tonight if you want." Sarai nods slowly. "Good. Let's go tell General Landry and Jack, alright?" Sarai nods and follows Sam to Landry's office where they find them both.

Sam knocks then opens the door when called in. "Sir, Sarai has made up her mind." She looks over at Jack then back at General Landry before guiding Sarai towards a chair. General Landry nods and watches the two women enter his office, seeing just how much they look alike. When they are seated, Sam looks over at Jack then back to Landry again. "She's decided to stay here with us." Jack visibly relaxes and Landry just nods. "Good. She's already been cleared to leave the base." Sam nods. "Thank you, sir." The three of them leave Landry's office and walk in silence to Sarai's quarters to gather the few things she'd brought with her from Jalana.

Twenty minutes later they pull up in front of a large two-story house. Jack parks in the driveway and turns off the engine. "Welcome home." He smiles at Sarai, who smiles shyly back. They leave the car and walk up the sidewalk to the front porch where Jack unlocks the front door then holds it open for Sam and Sarai. The three of them walk into the living room and let Sarai look around. After a moment, Jack walks over to her side. "Let me give you a tour." He says with a smile, extending his hand. She hesitates then slowly takes his hand and lets him lead her through the door into the family room. She sees a fireplace with pictures on the mantle. She is then led into the dining room and kitchen. "This is a small bathroom and over there is the den. There are lots of books in there." He glances back at Sam, then adds, "Sam's books." He leads her upstairs, with Sam right behind them.

They step into a hallway with four doors. "The door on your left leads into Cassie's room. She's not here right now but she'll be home later. Those two doors ahead of you are empty rooms and that one is the bathroom." They turn the corner and point to another door. "That is our room." Jack opens the door to the first spare room and lets the two women precede him inside. Sarai looks around and then follows her parents into the next room. "You can have whichever one you want and we'll get it fixed up for you." Sarai looks at the two rooms again and then chooses the second one. They work together to make the bed with new sheets and then show her where to put her few things and then they go downstairs again. Sitting in the living room, they talk casually about the four months Sarai lived on Jalana with Thoran and about some of the things they'd seen while on their travels.

"Well, it's getting late and we need to get up early to head back to work. I'm going to bed. Goodnight. Sleep well." Jack smiles at each of the two women and then walks upstairs leaving them alone. Sam smiles at Sarai, still feeling overwhelmed at having a daughter and having her all grown up without ever knowing she even existed. "There is plenty of food in the kitchen if you get hungry and I'll show you how the stove and microwave works. If you want, you can watch television tomorrow."

"Can't I go with you tomorrow, back to the SGC?" Startled Sam smiles. "You'd rather be there?" Sarai nods. "I'm sure that would be alright." She looks around a minute then continues. "I'm going to bed. We will be leaving first thing in the morning so I'll wake you alright?" Sarai nods and follows Sam upstairs, who then follows her to her room. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask." She says. Again Sarai just nods. "Good night."

"Good night." Sam glances back at her daughter before closing the door and walking the short distance to her bedroom. Inside she finds Jack already in bed. She steps into the bathroom and emerges a few minutes later in her pajamas. Crawling into bed she turns to Jack and sighs. "It has been one very strange week." She says then. He smiles at her and brushes a strand of hair from her face. "It has. But she is safe here with us now and that is all that matters." Sam smiles at Jack. "I just hope the men who are responsible for this won't suddenly show up and cause trouble. I'm still reeling from discovering we have a daughter but then to lose her would be too much." Jack reaches over and takes her hand in his. "I'll make sure that never happens, no matter what." He smiles his reassurance then leans over and kisses her goodnight.

The next morning, Sam wakes up early and walks quietly downstairs for coffee where she finds Sarai in the kitchen staring very intently at a box of cereal. "Is something wrong?" Sam asks, as Sarai turns the box over again. "No, I'm just trying to figure out how to cook this." Sam bites back a giggle and tries to explain. "Cereal is eaten with milk, kind of like soup, but it isn't cooked." She then takes a bowl from the cupboard, pours some of the cereal into it and gets the milk from the fridge. After pouring milk into the bowl she gets a spoon and sets it down. "Okay, try that." Sarai picks up the spoon and takes a tentative bite. After rolling the flavor in her mouth for a minute, she swallows. "It is different, but good." Sam smiles and starts the coffee as Jack comes downstairs. "Good morning." He mumbles, kissing Sam as he walks towards the fridge. When he pulls away they both look at Sarai whose eyes are down. Jack makes a sound somewhere between a groan and a cough and turns towards the coffeepot.

Two hours later they arrive at the SGC and check in. Sam goes straight to her lab, with Sarai, while Jack finds Landry. They reach her lab and Sam immediately dives into her work while Sarai looks at books and artifacts in the room. She finds a particular book on astronomy and begins reading it. She quickly learns that this book has far more information than the one Cameron brought her. After a long silence, Sam looks up to find Sarai reading one of her books. She smiles. "Do you enjoy astronomy?" She asks, trying to start a conversation. Sarai nods. "I love looking at the stars and reading about them, too." She replies without looking up from the book. "I have to take this to Daniel's lab, I'll be right back." She heads for the door. "Can I come?" She asks, in an almost child-like manner. Sam stops and looks at her. "Sure." They walk to Daniel's lab in silence and when they arrive, Sam immediately starts talking to Daniel. While they chat, Sarai looks around the room at the many different things occupying space on shelves, the table and even boxes in the corner. She then sees a book sitting on the corner of the table and opens it. She begins reading and is two chapters in when Sam turns to leave. She and Daniel both notice the young woman deeply engrossed in the book. Sam turns to Daniel. "What is she reading?" Daniel looks at the book again and turns to Sam. "It's one of my mythology books, I think."

"Sarai." Sam finally calls. Sarai jumps, looking up at the two staring at her. "I'm sorry." She stumbles, backing away from the book, her eyes down. "It's alright." Daniel walks over and looks at the front cover. "Would you like to borrow it?" She looks up at him. "Could I?" He nods and hands her the book. She thanks him and smiles brightly, clearly pleased at his offer. "You are welcome to read any of these books you like. Just let me know which one you have in case I need it, okay?" She nods and follows Sam back to her lab where she finds a chair in the corner and sits down to read.

Several hours later, when Jack stops by to invite them both to lunch, she is completely engrossed in her book. Jack walks in, notices his daughter in the corner and Sam at her desk. He stops beside her and she smiles up at him. He then glances over his shoulder again. "She's been there for hours now. I think she's really into that book." Jack looks over again. "What is she reading?"

"It's one of Daniel's mythology books." Jack groans and Sam giggles, causing Sarai to look up. "Dr. Jackson let me borrow it." She says, instantly defending her right to have the book. "That was nice of him. I'm going to lunch and thought you two might like to join me." Sarai nods, stands up and sets the book on the chair before following them to the commissary. As they walk, Jack turns to Sam. "I'm needed back at work so I'll be leaving tomorrow morning. This has to be my last day off." Sam nods. "General O'Neill, where do you work?" They both stop and turn to Sarai. He smiles at her. "Washington D.C., which is a long ways away from here. And call me Jack, okay?" She nods and they continue their walk to the commissary.

Sarai eats her lunch quietly while her parents are discussing his leaving in the morning. When she looks up, she catches a glimpse of someone walking into the room. Looking over Jack's shoulder she spots Mitchell. When he sees her she smiles and he returns the smile. After getting his lunch, he walks over. "Mind if I join you?" He asks. They nod and he sits down beside Sarai. They continue their conversation, neither of them noticing their daughter smile at Mitchell. "So, how long are you in town?" He asks. "I leave tomorrow morning, duty calls. But I'll be flying over as often as work will allow." Their conversation remains casual through lunch and then they all go their separate ways again. Returning to Sam's lab, Sarai finds the book and continues reading. An hour later she closes it and stands up. "Colonel Carter?" She asks slowly. Sam looks up from her computer. "You call me Sam, alright?" Sarai nods. "Sam?" She tests the name carefully. "I've finished this book. I'd like to find another one." Sam nods. "You remember where his lab is." She nods. "Alright." Sarai smiles and leaves the lab.

An hour later, Sam looks up and realizes that Sarai hasn't returned yet. Leaving her desk, she walks to Daniel's lab where she finds them both hovered over a piece of parchment; open books are scattered everywhere. "And that says 'without limit'." Sam hears Sarai say to Daniel as they study the piece of parchment. Daniel sees Sam walk in and looks up. "Hi Sam." He says, causing Sarai to look up quickly. "What are you working on?" She asks. "The parchment SG-11 brought back from PR9-573. So far, we've translated about three lines."

"We?" She looks at them both. "Yes. Sarai is actually very good at this. She was looking through one of my books and when she came over she read the entire first line. She's been helping me since." Sarai looks over at Sam, who smiles. "Have fun. I'll find you here for dinner, alright?" Sarai nods, and smiles, then turns back to the parchment as Sam walks out of the room shaking her head and smiling. "What's so funny?" A familiar voice calls from behind her. She turns around and smiles at Jack. When he catches up to her they walk towards her lab. "Sarai is helping Daniel translate a parchment SG-11 brought back last week." She watches the look on his face and smiles. "She's helping him." He repeats, and she nods. "Apparently she was reading one of his books and then read a line on the parchment. Anyway, Daniel is very excited about it."

"Danny has a new playmate, huh?" Jack says, getting another chuckle from Sam.

A week later after Jack went home and Sarai settled into her new life, Sam approached General Landry. "Sir, can I talk to you for a minute?" He nods and she steps into his office, closing the door before she sits down. "As you know, Sarai has been coming to work with me the past week." He nods. "Well, she's been helping Daniel in his lab with translations and other things and she's become quite good at it. With your permission, I'd like to give her a job helping either Daniel or myself with our lab work. She's very smart and she learns quickly. She seems to enjoy helping and I believe she'd make a valuable asset to the SGC." Sam waits while he thinks about her suggestion. "I will discuss it with my superiors and we'll see what they think. And, I will give them my recommendation that she be allowed to join our team." Sam smiles. "Thank you, sir." She returns to her lab to work but is interrupted by a phone call two hours later. "Carter." She says, picking up the phone.

"It's General Landry. I just got off the phone. Sarai is officially a member of the SGC."

"Thank you, sir. If you don't mind, I'd like to tell her myself." He agrees so she walks to Daniel's lab. Finding it empty she checks her watch and discovers it's well past lunch. She quickly walks to the commissary where she finds Sarai, Daniel, and Mitchell enjoying lunch and a conversation about something obviously funny. She sees Sarai laugh when Daniel says something and can't help but smile. It has become very clear over the last week that Sarai has become a welcome part of the SGC, and is getting along well with almost everyone. She's become as much a part of the SGC family as any one of them. She walks over to the table. "Hi Sam. You wanna join us?" Daniel asks. She nods and sits down. "So, what's going on?" Mitchell asks, noticing the smile on her face. She turns to Sarai. "I just spoke with General Landry. He made a few phone calls and has cleared it so, if you want it, you can start officially working with Daniel or myself in our lab. Would you like that?" They all turn to Sarai whose face lights up. "I can keep working here?" Sam nods.

Daniel glances at her with that 'you had a hand in this' look and she gives a quick nod and a smile. He smiles back. "Well, would you like to work here all the time? I can guarantee that it will almost never get boring." They all look at Daniel then Sarai turns to Sam. "I'd like that very much. Thank you."

"You start immediately so after lunch you can return to help Daniel or come back to my lab and help me. Your choice." She looks from Sam to Daniel then back to Sam. "I'd like to help finish the parchment."

"That's fine. I kind of figured you'd say that anyway." Sarai smiles then they finish their meal. She looks up at Mitchell, who's sitting across from her. He smiles and she smiles back. After lunch she returns to the lab with Daniel and they continue their work on the parchment. When they finally stop for the night, Daniel gathers his jacket and heads for the door. "Oh, we're going off world tomorrow. Shouldn't be gone more than two days. You can keep working on the translations until I get back, okay?" Sarai nods and follows him into the hallway. "Good night." He calls over his shoulder, heading towards the elevator. Sarai turns and walks towards Sam's lab. "Sam?" She asks, walking into the dimly lit room. "I'm over here." She calls from the corner. She looks up and smiles as Sarai reaches her. "Daniel said he's going off-world tomorrow; that means your entire team, right?" Sam nods. "We'll be back in two days and you can work on projects here until we return. You can call a cab to get home; you have the key to get in. Just be sure to lock up when you leave each morning." Sam turns back to her work while Sarai watches quietly. "I'd like to go off world with you." She says suddenly. Sam looks up from her desk and sees clearly the same look of stubborn determination she's seen on Jack's face so many times. "You'd really like to do that?" She nods, a hint of a smile curving the corners of her mouth. "Well, I'm afraid you can't go tomorrow, but I will talk to General Landry and see what he says, alright?" She nods again. "Good. Now, I need to finish this before we go home. Shouldn't be more than an hour or two. Can you check back then?"

"Yes." Sarai leaves the lab and walks down the empty hallway, heading back to Daniel's office. As she turns a corner she bumps into someone, startling them both. Regaining her balance, she looks up to see Cameron Mitchell smiling at her. "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." She smiles awkwardly, clearly embarrassed. "It's alright. I was just headed down for dinner, care to join me?" She smiles and they turn and walk together. "I hear you have a mission tomorrow." He turns to her. "Daniel told me."

"We leave at 0600."

"That's early." Having been on Earth for over a week now, Sarai has learned not only military time, but also how to manage most electronic items at home including the TV and microwave. She's even become quite good at cooking simple meals at home. "Yes it is. We are set with the sunrise of the other planet, something to do with the activity of a certain insect." He smiles and shrugs. After dinner they walk down the hallway and end up at Mitchell's quarters. "You're staying on base tonight."

"Yes. Because we're leaving so early tomorrow, I decided it would be easier to stay here tonight."

"Would you like to come in for a few minutes?" He asks, opening the door. She nods and follows him inside. She sits down in a chair and watches him as he sits down in the other chair. They talk about other missions he's been on and he ends up telling her a funny story about high school that has her laughing until her side hurts. They're still laughing when she glances at her watch and stands up quickly. "I'm supposed to meet Sam to go home. Thank you for telling me that story."

"Sure, anytime."

"Good night, Cameron."

"Good night, Sarai." He opens the door for her and watches her disappear down the hallway before closing the door. Walking over to the bed he lies down and tries not to think about the woman with blond hair and brown eyes.

Sarai finds Sam in her lab, still working on whatever project she's been working on all day. "Sam, it's almost 1100, you said we'd go home." Sam looks up, then at her watch. "Wow, sorry. That two hours just disappeared. Anyway, I'm probably a few more hours away from finishing this so it will have to wait. I can see that you are ready to go home." She nods as they leave. "Did you finish the parchment today?" She asks as they leave the parking lot. "Almost, but Daniel had to leave so I'm going to work on it while you're gone."

"Well, that should keep you busy for a while, huh?"

"Yes. I also have other things to do. He showed me how to catalog all the artifacts he brings in. He has several in a box that needs to be finished." They arrive home and turn in for the night.

At 4 am, Sam gets up and starts coffee. She then checks to find that Sarai is awake and ready to go. They have breakfast and then head to the SGC. Once there, Sam quickly gets ready to go and meets her team in the briefing room. After the briefing, they gather in the embarkation room while Sam helps with the dialing. Sarai stands nearby, watching everything in silence. Once the gate opens, Sam goes downstairs and joins the rest of SG-1. Sarai steps towards the window and watches the team as they turn and walk up the ramp, disappearing through the wormhole. As the gate shuts down, she turns and heads to Daniel's lab to work.

Unable to stay awake any longer, Sarai makes her way to her on-base quarters where she curls up on the bed and sleeps. When she wakes up she checks her watch then climbs out of bed and changes into clean clothes. Walking to the commissary for a quick breakfast she returns to the lab to finish the translation then she starts the cataloging. When she's finished with that, she cleans up the lab, putting books back on the shelves and wiping off some of the dust that has collected over the past week or two. She then goes to Sam's lab where she works on a smaller project Sam had started her on a few days ago. She stays busy and eighteen hours later, SG-1 returns. Sam finds Sarai in her lab, hovered over something on the desk. She walks in and smiles to herself, remembering how many times someone had walked in and found her hovered over that very desk. "You been up long?" She asks, causing Sarai to jump. "You're back. What time is it?"

"10:30." She looks at her watch and then back at Sam. "What time did you get up this morning?" Sarai frowns and lowers her eyes. "I didn't go to bed last night. I got started on this project and lost track of time." Sam chuckles. "I can't count how many times I've done that. Anyway, I'm going home. I have the next three days off and I'm flying out to see Jack. Would you like to come along?" Sarai shakes her head. "Not ready to try flying yet, huh? All right, I will see you when I get back. Do you want a ride home?" She shakes her head again. "I will stay here, it is easier than finding a ride home." Sam says good night and heads for home, after passing on some advice. "Don't work all night, get some sleep, okay?" Sarai smiles and nods. "I will." Not really tired, she returns to her project but is interrupted. "Sarai, where is the parchment we were working on?" Daniel asks as he hurries into the room. "I finished the translation so I put it on the far table with the other one. The translation is with it. I also finished cataloging your artifacts."

"Really, that's great, thanks." He smiles and then leaves, to let her return to her work. She stops for lunch and then again for dinner but returns to the project and is there when Mitchell finds her. "Hi." He says from the door. She looks up and smiles at him. "Hi." He walks over and looks at the work scattered on the desk. "Keeping busy?" She nods. "Where's Sam?"

"She went home a while ago. Said she was flying over to see Jack."

"Do you have a ride home?"

"I'm staying here until she returns. It is easier than trying to call a cab every night and then again in the morning." She looks up and finds him watching her. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes, I had dinner a couple if hours ago."

"Well, I'm heading home. I could give you a ride, if you want." She looks up at him, pleased at his offer. "Thank you." She sets down the book and turns off the lamp then follows him out the door. They walk in silence to the surface and when they reach his car, he opens the door for her.

Pulling out of the parking lot, he turns to her. "I've never been to Sam's new house so you'll need to show me where it's at." She nods and gives him directions as they chat. When he pulls into the parking lot outside the house, she smiles at him. "Thank you for the ride."

"Sure. If you need a ride in the morning, I could swing by and pick you up."

"I'd like that."

"Okay, I'll be here about 7."

"I'll be ready." She smiles again and then climbs out of the car. At the door, she unlocks it and pushes it open before turning around to wave as he pulls out of the driveway. Inside, she goes upstairs and falls asleep. The next morning she's up with the sun. After a shower she gets dressed and goes downstairs for breakfast. An hour later, she's ready when Mitchell arrives. She steps outside as he pulls into the driveway, locks the front door and climbs into the car. She smiles at him and they head to work. They walk to the lab together and he hangs around while she starts to work. "So, do you get a day off at some point?" He asks, almost jokingly. She looks up at him. "Tomorrow." She replies before returning to her work. "Any plans?"

"No, why?" She looks up, now curious about his questions. "Would you like to join me for dinner tomorrow night? I know this nice place with good food." She smiles, her face lighting up as she looks at him. "That sounds nice." He returns the smile. "I'll pick you up about 1800 hours." She nods and he leaves her to work. Around noon, Daniel shows up. "Thanks for your help, my office looks really nice."

"Your welcome."

"I'm going down for lunch, wanna come?"

"Sure." She leaves her work and walks with him to the commissary where they have lunch and talk. "Have you heard from Sam?"

"No." After lunch he walks her back to the lab and returns to his own office. Around dinnertime, Daniel and Mitchell arrive almost together. She looks up as they walk through the door. "Must be time for dinner." She teases, as she walks towards the door and follows them to the commissary. After dinner, Mitchell walks her back to the lab. "Do you need a ride again tonight?"

"Sure, thank you."

"I'll stop by about 2100, okay?" She nods and he leaves.

At 2100 he arrives at the door where he stands quietly, watching her working intently on her project. After several minutes she finally notices him standing there, a strange smile on his face. She looks around and then back at him. "What?" He moves away from the wall that he'd been leaning on and walks towards her. "Nothing. It's just strange."

"What is?"

"Sam does that, too."

"Does what?"

"Sam has a history of hovering over her current project with that look on her face and she tends to forget about everything else, especially when it's something she really enjoys." Sarai thinks for a moment and then frowns. She turns a questioning look to him, waiting and wondering. "There's nothing wrong with it, you're just a lot like her, which isn't a bad thing, either." She stands there, silently thinking about what he said. "It is normal for someone to inherit certain things from their parents, isn't it?" He nods. "Then I suppose it is normal for others to see those things, after all, I must have inherited something from my parents." Hearing the slightest hint of sadness in her voice, he walks over to her. "It wasn't supposed to upset you, it was meant as a compliment." She looks up and meets his eyes. Then she smiles. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Are you ready to go?" She nods and they leave the base together.

At the house, she thanks him for the ride. "Your welcome. Have a good night. I'll see you at 6 tomorrow night."

"Yes. See you then." She gets out of the car, opens the front door and waves as he leaves.

She wakes up early the next morning, yawns, stretches and crawls out of bed. Smiling to herself she goes downstairs for breakfast and then walks around the house looking at the pictures. She finds one with Sam, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c standing in the backyard of Jack's old house. There's another one with Jonas, who Sam told her about the first time that she'd seen the picture. Other pictures with Jack and Sam together and some of other friends and family. After lunch, Sarai decides to clean the house until 4, at which time she goes upstairs and takes a shower. She then looks through her closet, now over half full of clothes after Sam and Cassie took her shopping her first weekend here. She finds a light blue knee-length skirt and a white shirt. She slips into her black sandals and picks up the black purse Cassie insisted she buy. She then brushes her hair, again, and walks downstairs. She pulls her jacket from the hall closet and lays it on the chair beside the front door. Going to the kitchen for a glass of water, she glances at the clock again. Five minutes. Trying to shake off the nerves that have settled in her stomach, she finishes her water and washes the glass then sets it in the drain pan.

As she turns to leave the kitchen she hears the doorbell. Taking a deep breath, she walks over to the door and opens it. She smiles at Cameron as he looks at her; carefully taking in her outfit and the way her skirt hugs her hips. "Hi. You look great." She smiles shyly, taking in his blue jeans and gray shirt. "Thanks. So do you."

"Ready?" She nods so he offers her his arm. Picking up her jacket and locking the door, she slips her hand over his arm. He walks her to his car and opens the door for her. Inside, he starts the engine and they pull out of the driveway. They drive in silence for several minutes before he speaks up. "When is Sam due back?"

"Early tomorrow morning. She has to be back to work around 8 so I'll be riding in with her."

"Okay." More silence. "What is this place we're going tonight?" She asks after a few minutes. "Its called O'Malleys."

"Isn't that where the others often go?" He smiles. "Yes, but they have great food and dancing, too." She smiles back as they pull into the parking lot. Stopping the car, he gets out and opens the door for her. He then offers her his arm and they walk into the restaurant. She looks around as he leads her to a table near the back. He holds her chair for her and then sits across the table. After a moment, a waitress comes over. They glance at the menus and then order their food. After she leaves, he turns to Sarai. "Are you enjoying your new job?"

"Yes. I have greatly enjoyed helping Daniel with his work." Having been briefed more than once about the top-secret work, Sarai learned quickly to talk about work without divulging anything that might jeopardize the secrecy of it all. "He is fun to work with, too." She gets a smile and returns it. "What about you? Do you enjoy your job?"

"Yes. Very much actually." The waitress brings their food so conversation fades while they eat. When she returns again to clear up their empty plates, they pick up their conversation. After a few minutes, he looks over at the nearly empty dance floor then back at her. "Would you like to dance?"

"Sure." He stands up and extends his hand to her. She slides her hand into his and lets him pull her to her feet. They walk to the dance floor and he pulls her to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. The song is slow but they dance in tune with the music. When her head finds a nice spot on his shoulder his arm instinctively pulls her closer. Closing her eyes, Sarai enjoys this brief moment of closeness and relaxes into his embrace.

Too soon, the song ends but another one quickly follows. A faster one this time. They dance to that song too and by the time it is over, her face is slightly flushed and she is smiling. They return to their table and sit down to catch their breath.

At the end of a wonderful evening, they leave the restaurant and he drives her home. In the parking lot, he stops the car, gets out and opens her door. Then he walks her to the front door. She unlocks it and looks up at him. "Thank you, I had a great time tonight." He smiles. "So did I." She smiles back and their eyes lock. Slowly, somewhat unsure, he takes a step towards her and as their lips meet, he realizes that she met him halfway.

Pulling away, he smiles at her again. "Good night. See you at work, tomorrow." She watches him walk to his car, climb in and start the engine. She pushes the door open and waves as he drives away. She goes inside, closes and locks the door and giggles like a schoolgirl.

When she wakes up the next morning, she goes downstairs for breakfast and finds Sam in the kitchen. "Good morning." Sam calls. "Hi, when did you get home?" Sam looks at her watch. "About an hour ago. Want some breakfast?" She nods and sits down on a stool. "How's Jack?" She asks to break the silence. "He's doing good. Did you have fun while I was gone?" She asks, only partially teasing. "I kept busy." She replied calmly.

After breakfast they drive to the SGC and go to work. Sam goes to her lab while Sarai goes to Daniel's office. "Good morning." He calls as she walks in. "Hi." She replies back. "Have a good weekend?" She asks as she picks up a new artifact. "Yes. You?"

"Yes." She glances over to where he's sitting and notices several new artifacts have been piled on the desk. "Are all of these from your mission to 5X-641?"

"Yes they are. SG-1 is due to leave at 11 so I'll need you to catalog them. We'll be back in a week." With that he left the room. A few minutes later Sam walks in. "We're getting ready to leave. I'll see you in a week." Sarai nods. "Okay, see you then." After Sam leaves, Sarai returns to her work only to be interrupted again. "Hi." She hears from the doorway. She looks up and smiles as Mitchell walks into the room. "Hi." She replies with a smile of her own. "I hear you're leaving for awhile." He nods and looks around at all the stuff piled on the desk. "Looks like you have lots to do."

"Yes, lots to keep me busy."

"We'll be back in a week, would you like to go out to dinner after we get back?" She smiles. "I'd like that a lot."

"Good. I'll pick you up at 7 on Friday."

"Okay, see you Friday." She smiles as he says good bye and disappears around the corner.

The week passes slowly for Sarai, who spends each day working on the items in Daniel's office as well as working on Sam's latest project. Finally Thursday arrives and SG-1 returns. After a quick check up with the doctor and a long debriefing with the general, Sam finds her daughter in her lab. "How's it going?" She asks, sounding nearly as tired as she looks. "Alright, how was the mission?" Sam sighs. "Long, very long. I'm headed home, you ready?" She nods and follows Sam to her car. "Did you get a lot done while we were gone?"

"Not a lot, but a little." The rest of the drive home is silent and Sam quickly disappears for some much-needed sleep, leaving Sarai to find her own dinner. She turns in late and wakes up early on Friday. Quiet to let Sam sleep she slips downstairs and fixes breakfast, after putting on a fresh pot of coffee for her mother. She finishes her breakfast and washes her dishes then cleans a little of the dust that proves she's been gone all week. When Sam finally comes downstairs, she finds Sarai cleaning. "Having fun I see." She teases. "I stayed on base all week so I thought I'd clean up a bit, the house definitely needs it." Sam frowns at Sarai. "You stayed on base all week." She nods slowly. "Why don't you call a cab or something?" She shrugs. "It's easier to stay there." Sam walks into the kitchen for coffee. "I'm sure we can find some way for you to get home when I'm not here. I'll look into it, alright?" Sarai nods then returns to her cleaning. "Oh, the guys are coming over tomorrow night for a little poker and movie night. Would you like to join us?"

"Yes, that sounds like fun." They spend the rest of the morning cleaning the house. With the entire first floor spotless clean, they stop for lunch. "I'm going to head to base for a little while. There's something I want to work on. Would you like to go?"

"No, I'll stay here and finish cleaning."

"Okay." Sam leaves and Sarai cleans a bit more before getting ready to go out. When he arrives at 7 she meets him at the door. "Hi. Are you ready?" He asks. She nods and follows him out the door. "Where's Sam?" He asks as they walk to the car. "She went to the base for awhile." He nods and closes the door for her then climbs in and they drive away. She smiles at him. "So, where are we going tonight?"

"I found this small restaurant on the other side of town. There's no dancing but I've heard some good things about their food." They chat on the drive over and she lets him open her door. Then, sliding her hand into his outstretched one, they walk into the restaurant. A waiter leads them to a booth and offers them menus. A few minutes later another waiter takes their order and a short while later brings them their food. They try their food and share with each other and laugh throughout the evening. After dinner, they head back. "Where's a good place to look at stars?" She asks suddenly. He glances over at her. "I know a spot." They drive in silence for about ten minutes before he stops the car and gets out. Opening her door he takes her hand and leads her into a park. They walk a short distance before he stops. "How's this?" She looks up at the clear blue sky filled with thousands of stars and smiles. "It's perfect." He watches her slowly walk around as she looks at the stars. She walks in a slow circle around him for about ten minutes before she stops and looks at him. "What?" She asks, responding to the strange look on his face. "Nothing." He replies back. "It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it?" She asks, looking at the stars again. "Very." He says without looking away from her. She turns back to him and then looks away, smiling shyly. He walks over to her, takes her hand and together they look at the stars.

Her hand still entwined with his; she leans against him and rests her head on his shoulder. When he looks down at her she turns and looks into his eyes. He turns just slightly and kisses her. She moves into his kiss and slides her free arm around his waist and his hand moves to the middle of her back to pull her closer. When they pull apart she smiles and returns her head to his shoulder.

They stay out only a short time longer before he drives her home. As they pull into the driveway, she notices that Sam's car is still gone. "She must still be at work." He parks the car and walks her to the door. He kisses her goodnight and she waves as he pulls out of the driveway before going up to her room to sleep.

Saturday after a short day on base, Sarai helps Sam get ready for the party. They clean up the house again and make snacks. Then they bring chips and dip and soda and around 5 the others start showing up. Daniel and Teal'c arrive early packing movies and pizza and ten minutes later, Mitchell arrives. Sarai greets him at the door, smiling sweetly as he walks in. They set up at the table and bring in the food and start playing. Sarai catches on quickly to the game and is soon the top winner. They take a break to watch a couple movies. Mitchell sits on the couch with Sam and Sarai to either side of him while Daniel and Teal'c take the chairs. With the lights dimmed and everyone focused on the movie, Mitchell reaches over and takes her hand in his. She smiles at him and shifts a little closer. As the movie ends, they move apart and return to the table for more pizza and poker. Around midnight they bid farewell and leave. Sarai helps clean up, a smile on her face. "I take it you had a good time tonight." Sam comments when she sees the smile. Sarai looks up, looking as if she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't. "It was fun." She says quickly. Sam just smiles. They clean up and turn in for the night.

A MONTH LATER

Sarai waits patiently for 6, when Cameron will arrive. After their first two dates they started seeing each other whenever he wasn't off world. Two weeks ago, when they'd all been given a few days off, she'd finally agreed to fly to D.C. with Sam to go see Jack. She'd had a good time and a good visit and had finally settled down and was comfortable with her parents, though she still called them Jack and Sam instead of mom and dad. But after the trip over and back, she decided she didn't really like flying so she stayed home the last two times Sam had flown over. And like the last two times, she'd spent both weekends out with Cameron.

The doorbell rings so she walks over and opens the door. She smiles, takes his hand and welcomes his warm kiss before they head out for a night of dinner and dancing at O'Malleys. Casual conversation, fine dining, and dancing carry the night through and then brings it to a close. Standing on the porch, he kisses her good night but when he turns to leave she asks him, "Would you like to come in?" He looks into her deep brown eyes, hesitates for a moment, and then answers. "Sure." She opens the door and he follows her inside. He watches her set her purse on the table, remove her jacket and then smiles to himself, seeing just how much she's settled into life on Earth. Her behavior and her attitude having changed so much, you wouldn't even know she'd been born on another planet, let alone raised from birth to adulthood in six months. She'd learned a lot since they brought her home and she's taught them a lot, too.

She turns to find him watching her. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Sure." He follows her into the kitchen where she grabs two glasses. "Looks like we have water, water, and more water."

He smiles. "I think I'll have the water." She grins and pours them both a glass of water. They walk to the living room and sit down. "When is Sam due back?" He asks. "Day after tomorrow."

"How is Jack doing?"

"He's doing good. Keeping busy but at least they get to see each other almost every weekend. One of them flies over and stays for a day or two and then flies back."

"You flying over again anytime soon?" He asks, teasing her. She shakes her head. "Not anytime soon." She takes their empty glasses and puts them in the sink before returning to the living room. He glances at his watch and stands up as she walks into the room. "It's late, I should get home. We both have work waiting for us." She nods and he heads for the door. Reaching out she takes his hand, causing him to turn around. "Stay." He walks over to her. "Are you sure?" She nods and reaches for his kiss.

The sun filters into the room as it rises over the eastern horizon. Sarai yawns, rolls over and meets a handsome smiling face. "Good morning, beautiful." He mumbles sleepily. She smiles. "Good morning to you, too." Moving over, she rests her head on his arm. Sliding his hand over her, he pulls her to him, relishing the feel of her beside him. "Would you like some breakfast?" She asks, enjoying the sensation of his hand making lazy circles on her back. "Sounds good, what did you have in mind?" She laughs and looks up at him. "I was thinking pancakes, what were you thinking?"

"Oh, I was thinking pancakes, too." She laughs again and rolls over to get up but he pulls her back to him and kisses her. Then he reaches down and tickles her. She wiggles trying to get free and manages to slide off the bed onto the floor. He looks down at her with a grin on his face until she reaches up and pulls him down beside her. Then she looks at him with her own grin. Leaning over, he kisses her then sits on the bed and helps her up beside him. "So, how about those pancakes?" She nudges him in the side then gets dressed and heads downstairs. He joins her a couple minutes later and they make pancakes for breakfast.

The drive to work is filled with simple chatter about work and what she's learning this week. On base they go their separate ways, behaving no different than casual friends at work. They meet up with Daniel for lunch and then Daniel and Teal'c for dinner and he stops by the lab to take her home for the night. At her place, she invites him in and again he stays. The next day, they are both at work when Sam arrives home, completely unaware of the changes in her daughter's life. Near the end of the week, Sam arrives at the lab with good news. "General Landry has agreed to let you go off world, but only when it's an easy, no risk mission." Even with the limitations, Sarai is ecstatic. "Really?" Sam nods. "That's great." She can't wait to share her news.

A week later, Sarai is given her first off world mission. "You'll be joining SG-1 on this one. It's a return check to 4X7-331. Three weeks ago we sent them food and medical supplies. Today we'll be checking back to see how things are going for them." Sam informs her daughter. They stand in the locker room getting their gear ready as Sam explains the basics. When ready, they join the three men of SG-1 in the gate room. Sarai's excitement is very clear on her face as she stands beside her mother, waiting for the gate to activate. Mitchell stands off to one side while the gate dials, watching Sarai, her anticipation growing with each locking chevron.

They hear General Landry inform them they're clear to go so Daniel, Teal'c and Mitchell go through first, followed by Sam and Sarai. She steps through on the other side and looks around. "It's beautiful here. It reminds me of Jalana." Sam smiles and they hurry to catch up with the guys. It doesn't take long for them to reach the village were they are greeted warmly by their new friends. "Greetings, welcome to Zenar." Their host, Nylar, whom they'd met previously, shows them around and points out how the supplies are helping the people. They spend most of the day visiting and checking in on the patients then nearing sunset; they set up camp for the night. Sam and Sarai share one tent while the three men share another.

Late the next morning, while Sam and Sarai are doing a little sightseeing, they hear Daniel over the radio. "Sam, come in, it's Daniel?"

"Go ahead, Daniel."

"There's been a little misunderstanding in the village. Mitchell's been injured and needs to get back to the SGC." Sarai feels her heart stop as she listens, but she hides her feelings as best as she can, knowing the rules around the SGC, and being unsure how he feels about the others knowing about them, especially her parents. "Thanks Daniel, we are on our way back." They hurry back to the village to find Daniel talking with several of the locals while Teal'c is trying to bandage Mitchell's abdomen. "What happened?" She asks as soon as she arrives. "One of the locals asked a question and clearly didn't like the answer. He became upset and attacked me with a knife when my back was turned. Didn't see it coming until it was too late, otherwise he would have missed." Sarai stands in the background watching, worry evident on her face as she listens to him explain what happened. She can hear the pain in his voice and watches him flinch as Teal'c finishes bandaging the wound. "It's not too serious. A few stitches and I'll be good as new." He looks over then to see Sarai and gives her a reassuring smile. She smiles back and tries to relax a bit, without much luck.

Daniel comes over then. "I think I've mended the fence, but I'd like to stay a bit longer to be sure." Sam nods. "Teal'c can stay with you. We'll get Mitchell back to the SGC." They leave for the gate, and after a long and slow walk, they dial home and soon he is lying on a bed with seventeen stitches in his side. A few painkillers and a good bandage later, he's released. "No unnecessary activity for a few days, stay off your feet as much as possible and get lots of rest." Dr. Lam warns as he leaves.

Meanwhile, Sam is out searching for her suddenly elusive daughter who disappeared the moment they were cleared by the doctor. She checked her lab and didn't find her so she checked her quarters for a double negative. Then, as she heads towards Daniel's office, she's paged to the gate room. A bit worried about Sarai, she hurries off to the gate room to greet Daniel and Teal'c, hoping they bring good news.

Sarai sat in Daniel's office, in the dark, staring at the floor. She'd watched in silent horror as they'd put him on the stretcher and carried him to the infirmary. She knew the doctor was very capable and that he'd be fine but the fear of what happened was still very clear in her mind. She tried to shake it off but couldn't. She heard the page for Sam to go to the gate room but she didn't move. She remained where she was hiding in the dark, fighting off the worry.

"I thought I'd find you here." Startled by the sudden sound she spins around to find Mitchell standing in the doorway, holding his side but on his feet. She stands up but doesn't move forward. When he takes a couple steps towards her she finds her feet and is quickly in his waiting arms. They stand there in total silence, in the dark, in Daniel's office for several minutes, comforted simply by their embrace. With her eyes shut tight, Sarai doesn't see Daniel come around the corner and stop suddenly. He looks at the couple standing in the middle of his office, turns quietly and disappears around the corner.

Sarai finally pulls away and looks into his eyes. He can see the questions and he smiles. "Doc says it's not too bad and will heal quickly. Seventeen stitches aren't bad. The good news is I'm off duty until she gives me a clean bill of health. More than likely a week, maybe less." He smiles again and she returns it. "I am required, though, to stay off my feet as much as possible so I'm going to my quarters to rest. Stop by later, okay?" She nods and watches him leave. At the door, he smiles once more then disappears around the corner.

Taking a deep breath, she relaxes and returns to work, knowing he's going to be fine. Ten minutes later, Daniel comes in and they continue their work. Deciding to leave it alone, Daniel says nothing about what he saw earlier.

Sam finds Daniel alone in his office a few hours later when she stops by to see about dinner. "Where's Sarai?" She asks after scanning the room. "She said she had something she needed to do and she'd be back later."

"She didn't say where she was going?" He shakes his head and then looks up. "Why, is something wrong?'

"No. But it's the second time she'd disappeared today. Is she all right, she seemed pretty shaken by what happened on 4X7-331."

"She's fine. Chatted all afternoon while we worked. Then just before 4 she left, saying she'd be back soon."

"Okay, well I'm going in for dinner, wanna come?" Daniel nods and they walk to the commissary.

Sarai knocks on the door and then waits for a reply. "Come in." She hears him say. Pushing the door open she steps inside and smiles at him. "Thought you might be hungry so I brought you some dinner." Sitting up on the bed, he looks at the tray. "I don't think I'm that hungry." He comments after seeing all the food. "I brought enough for two, in case you wanted some company." He smiles and pats the bed beside him. "Thank you." She sits down beside him and they enjoy a quiet meal. After the food is gone, she sets the tray aside and returns to the bed. They chat for a few minutes then she looks at her watch. "I need to get back to work. Daniel will think I ran away or something."

"I'll be staying on base for a few days." She smiles and stands up to leave but he catches her arm. She looks back at him and he pulls her to him for a soft kiss. "Don't work too hard, okay?" She smiles and returns to find Daniel's office empty. Shrugging, she gets back to work. Daniel returns a short time later. "Did you eat dinner?" She nods, continuing to work. A couple hours later, Sam arrives ready to go home. They leave and Sam notices how quiet her daughter has become. "Are you alright?" She asks when they're halfway home. "Yes, I'm fine." She states matter-of-factly. They drive on in more silence. "It's alright to be a little upset over what happened. It was your first time off world and with the incident and all. If you want to talk about it, we can." Sarai shakes her head. "You sure?" Sam asks. "I'm sure." They reach the house and Sarai goes straight to her room and is in bed when Sam stops by. "Good night."

"Good night."

The next two days, Sarai spends each meal with Mitchell, in his quarters until he is able to get up and walk without too much discomfort. She keeps up with her work and is still as friendly as ever. Sam begins to notice gradual changes in her daughter. She's working harder but she's always disappearing before meals and at home she's quieter and stays in her room more. She's also noticed that Daniel has been watching her more closely this past week. She keeps getting this feeling that he knows something but each time she asks him, he insists that he doesn't know what she's talking about.

Near the end of the week, Sarai is suddenly available for meals again, making Sam happy but still something's nagging at her about it all. Something has definitely changed; she just can't seem to figure out what. Trying to set aside her motherly worries, Sam lets it be, for now, and tries to look forward to the coming weekend. Jack will be here on Saturday and they plan to spend a day in town, just the three of them for some much needed quality family time. As Friday grows closer, Sam relaxes more and tries to forget about all the worries she's had over Sarai's strange behavior.

Friday evening, Sam walked into Daniel's office, ready to go home, only to find Sarai not there. "Daniel, where is Sarai?"

"I don't know. She said good night so I figured she was with you."

"No. When did she leave?" Daniel glances at his watch. "About twenty minutes ago." After a moment, she turns to leave. "Good night, Daniel."

"Good night, Sam." She leaves his office and walks towards the commissary. Not finding her there she heads back to her lab where she finds a note. It reads:

Sam, I'm going out with a friend. I won't be out too long. See you in the morning. Sarai

Sam reads the note again then heads home. Who is this friend she's with? Someone she knows? Obviously it is someone from work, but who? At home, she cleans up a bit then heads to bed but can't sleep so she goes back downstairs to watch some TV. Around 11 she hears a car pull up. Forcing herself to stay on the couch, she listens as they walk up the sidewalk and stop on the porch. She then hears giggling and a man's hushed voice. Even more curious, she starts to stand up but the door opens. Sitting back down, she watches Sarai walk into the house, wave at whoever is leaving and close the door. She turns around and nearly jumps. "Sam, you're still up."

"Couldn't sleep." She answered. "Oh, okay. Well, I'm going to bed. Good night."

"Sarai." Sam stands up. "Yes?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Sarai hesitates. "Okay."

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad to see you've made friends and that you're spending time with them." Sarai looks at Sam, puzzled at her statement. "I don't want to stop you from having fun, but I would like to know where you are and who you're with."

"I left a note in your lab, didn't you get it?" Sam tries to calm down. "I got it." Sarai frowns. "I don't understand. If you got the note, why are you upset with me?" Sam sees the hurt in her daughter's eyes and smiles. "I'm not upset. I guess I'm just worried about you. Call it a mom thing. I just want to know that you're alright." Sarai nods, smiles and trying her best to understand. "Is this friend the reason you were missing at every meal this week?"

"Oh, I was taking meals in to Cameron Mitchell because the doctor said he needed to rest. I figured he'd like the company so I ate with him. That is why I wasn't there. When he was well enough, I didn't need to go anymore."

"That was nice of you." Sam is quiet for a moment. "So, who were you out with tonight?" She can see that Sarai is hesitant to talk about it but some part of her needs to know what's happening in her daughter's life. "Cam and I went to the park to look at stars. He found this really nice place where you can see the whole sky and we look for constellations and I'm learning the names of individual stars, too." Sam sees clearly the love for astronomy on her daughter's face.

"Well I'm glad to see that you have become friends with members of the SGC. Mitchell is very nice and fun to hang out with, and Daniel has mentioned more than once that he enjoys your company and that you seem to enjoy your work."

"I enjoy Daniel's company. He is like an uncle to me. And Teal'c is very protective. Everyone has been very nice and has accepted me and I feel like it's home. I love my job, too." When she stops, Sam senses that she's trying to avoid something.

"Is there something else?" Sam asks. Sarai takes a slow, deep breath then looks up at Sam, knowing she can't lie to her mother. "I'm not just friends with Cam. We've been seeing each other for almost two months now." Sam looks at Sarai, surprised. "What do you mean seeing each other?" Unsure how to handle the sudden onslaught of emotions, Sam sits down and tries to remain calm. "Right after I came here, we started spending time together and then two weeks before the party here, we had our first date. We've been together since." Sarai saw the look on Sam's face and knew it wasn't going to be pretty. She'd seen that look many times when the doctor on Jalana became angry at something she did wrong or refused to do at all. Though he'd never hit her, she'd often been afraid of him. "And, he's the one that dropped you off tonight?" Sarai nods.

"You've been dating Mitchell and you never told me. He never told me. Why? Why couldn't you talk to me about it?"

"We agreed not to say anything because we didn't want there to be any problems at work. We remained distant at work, until his injury, and only saw each other on our down time. He's such a gentleman. He's sweet, and funny, and he's great company. I've liked him since I first met him on Jalana and after spending time with him I've learned so much about him." She smiles then, mostly to herself. "I'm in love with him."

"You're what?"

CHAPTER TWO

Sarai jumps at her mother's sudden outburst. Completely unprepared for such a reaction, Sarai turns to look at Sam. "I thought you'd be happy for me." She finally says, the hurt very clear in her voice. "Happy? Happy?" Sam can't seem to get passed that concept. "I can't be happy, Sarai. You're just going to end up getting hurt, do you understand that?" She looks up in time to see the tears and for a moment she wants to pull her into her arms and cradle her. When she reaches for her, Sarai suddenly turns and races up the stairs. A moment later Sam hears the door slam shut. Letting out a sigh, Sam turns out the lights and walks slowly to her own room, parenthood suddenly weighing very heavily on her. Curling up under the covers, she tries to sleep but keeps hearing her daughter's words. "I'm in love with him." She's so young, how could she possibly be in love with Cameron Mitchell? Sure he's a great guy but she's just too young to understand.

Sarai wept into her pillow until she fell asleep. Overwhelmed by the sudden change in her circumstances she begins to wonder if she'd been better off staying with Thoran on Jalana. Her sleep is restless as she fights internal demons and the fear of losing everything she just found.

Sam woke early, looked at the clock and stretched. When her hand bumps into something she rolls over to find Jack lying beside her, a big grin on his face. "Morning." She smiles and accepts his kiss but pulls away when last nights events return. "What's wrong?" Sam sits up. "We need to talk." Jack, hearing the seriousness in her voice, sits up beside her. "What about?"

"Our daughter." Jack gets a strange feeling at the sound of that. A feeling somewhere between dread over Sam's serious tone, and overwhelming joy at the thought of their daughter. "Did something happen, is she all right?"

"She's fine. She's making lots of friends. Oh, and she even has a boyfriend." Jack smirks. "Really, who is he?" Sam glares at him, giving him the feeling that she's definitely not pleased with the young man Sarai has chosen. "She's dating Cam." She watches Jack think about it for a moment. "Cam. Cam? You mean Cameron Mitchell?" Sam nods her head. "That can't be. Are you sure?" She nods her head again. "They went out again last night. Apparently they've been seeing each other for almost two months."

"Two months, that means..."

"That's right. They started seeing each other almost immediately after she came back from Jalana with us." They sit quietly for a few minutes, thinking. "What are we going to do?" Sam asks, breaking the silence. "I think I'll have a talk with Mitchell." Glancing at the clock again, they realize it's well past 6 am. Getting dressed, they knock on Sarai's door. "Sarai, are you awake?" Jack calls. When no one answers, he opens the door to find the room empty. They walk downstairs expecting to see her in the kitchen. Instead they find a note.

I called a cab and went to work. Sarai

"She couldn't have left that long ago. We can catch up with her." They quickly get in the car and head for the SGC. Meanwhile, on base, Sarai has found her way to Daniel's office where she quickly buries herself in work, trying hard to forget about the fight from last night. After a rough night full of unpleasant dreams, she woke to hear her parents talking. She could tell that they weren't happy so she decided to get away for a while. Calling a cab, she'd left fifteen minutes before they went looking for her. Now, buried in her work, she lets herself forget.

Not ten minutes into her work, she hears someone chuckle near the door. She looks up to find Cam watching her. When she doesn't offer her usual smile, he walks over to her. "What's wrong?" He asks, concern evident in his voice. "They know." Confused, he lifts her chin until their eyes meet. "Who knows what?" A single tear slides down her cheek so he reaches up and wipes it away. "My parents know about us." He frowns. "I take it they aren't happy about it?" She shakes her head. "They should know I'm not at home by now and they're probably very close if they aren't here already."

Sam and Jack hurry onto base and split up, both looking for Mitchell. Sam heads to the commissary while Jack heads for his quarters. Having no luck, Sam goes to her lab and then heads for Daniel's office. Stepping into the room she expects to see her daughter, instead she finds Mitchell. "Good morning, Sam." He says casually, obviously unaware that his friend is very upset with him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" When he gets that look from her, he knows the game is over. "Sam, I'm sorry. I just didn't want there to be any more trouble for her."

"You could have talked to me about it. We are friends, right? And she is my daughter?"

"Yes, and yes. But, she's also a grown woman and like it or not, she's very capable of making her own decisions." The room goes silent for several minutes.

"Oh, good morning Sam, Mitchell." Daniel says as he walks to his desk, unaware of the tension building in the room. Sam turns on him then. "You knew about it, didn't you?" Daniel looks up at her, dumbstruck. "What are you talking about?" The look on Sam's face warns Daniel that she's not playing games. "Why didn't you tell me they were seeing each other?" Daniel looks at Sam and then at Mitchell. "Sam, we didn't tell anyone. No one knew."

"Daniel knows, don't you? You knew about them. You knew something but you wouldn't tell me what it was."

"Sam, I'm sorry." Mitchell turns to Daniel. "You knew?" Daniel nods. "How?" He turns to Mitchell then. "After the accident on 4X7-331, I saw you two in here. I didn't want to interfere so I turned around and left."

"Why didn't you tell me then, when I asked you?" He shrugs. "I didn't think it was my place to tell you. That should have been Sarai's choice. She isn't a child, Sam. She's very capable of making her own choices. If you could just see how happy she has been the last few weeks, you'd change your mind." Mitchell looks over at Daniel then back at Sam.

"There you are. YOU!" They all turn to find Jack storming into the room, his eyes set on Mitchell. Sam touches his arm and he stops, looking at her, puzzled. He then turns back to Mitchell, who looks somewhat uneasy but ready to stand his ground. "Jack, wait." Turning, he looks at Daniel. "I think you need to listen for a minute."

"I'll listen alright." He then turns back to Mitchell. "I want to know why you've been seeing my daughter without talking to me first. If you think the situation changes the rules..."

"Jack." Sam cuts in. He turns to look at her and his expression softens a little. "We need to at least listen to him and try to be rational." He nods after a moment and they turn to Mitchell. "Well?" He looks at each of the three waiting faces and wonders where to start. "When she first came here she was completely alone. We still didn't know who her family was, or if we'd even find them. She'd grown to trust me while on Jalana and I knew she'd need a friend while we were searching for her parents. She confided in me often and I grew to care for her. After her paternity was revealed, I tried to back off, at least at first. We eventually started going out to dinner and we've been seeing each other since."

"But you didn't think it was necessary to talk to her parents first?"

"We had talked about it but she was concerned, having heard about the trouble you two had while you both worked here together." He informs Jack and Sam, who share a quick look, remembering some of what they'd been through while working on SG-1 together. "You still should have talked to at least one of us. You see Sam almost every day, you couldn't find a moment to say Oh, by the way, I'm dating your daughter."

"Jack." Daniel interrupts again. "What Daniel?"

"Don't you think that you may be overreacting just a little bit?" Jack shakes his head.

"Fine Jack. You want me to confide in you? All right. I love your daughter, and I want to marry her." Three heads turn to Mitchell. "I don't think so." From there the shouting progresses to a point where it can actually be heard a short distance down the hallway.

Unable to stay in Cam's quarters any longer, Sarai heads to Daniel's office where she knows she'll probably find all of them. As she draws nearer, she can hear the shouts and angry words. Turning the corner she sees four people, who had once been the closest of friends, now practically at each other's throats. "STOP." She yells, trying to get their attention. They all stop and turn towards the door. Sarai ignores the tears rolling down her face as she faces them. "Stop. You all have been friends since long before I was even born. I can't stand knowing that I've caused this to happen." Now nearly sobbing, Sarai swipes angrily at her tears. "I should never have come here. Everyone would have been better off if I'd stayed on Jalana. I'm sorry that I caused you so much trouble. If General Landry will allow it, I'll return to Jalana and you can just go on with your lives like nothing ever happened." With that she turns and runs down the hallway.

All three move at once, heading for the door but Daniel beats them there. "No." Blocking the door, he makes them all stop and listen to him. "Get out of the way Daniel." Jack practically orders. "I don't think any of you should be talking to her right now." Daniel says without moving from the door. "I'll go. You three need to work out some things, right now." With that, he turns and hurries towards Sarai's quarters. Sam catches Jack's gaze and then they turn to Mitchell.

Daniel knocks on the door but gets no answer. Carefully opening the door, he finds the room empty. After a moment, he closes the door and hurries to Mitchell's quarters. When he finds that one empty, too, he goes to Carter's lab, which is also empty. Now becoming concerned, he calls up to security. "Yes. She just left a couple minutes ago."

"Thank you." Hanging up the phone, he returns to his office where he finds the three of them talking in civil tones. When he walks in they all turn to him. "She left the base." Jack moves towards the door then, spouting orders as he goes. "Sam, check the house, I'll drive to the mall. Mitchell, you..."

"Jack, I might know where she's at." They all turn to Mitchell. "There's a spot near the creek just outside of town where we've gone stargazing. It's her favorite spot." There's a moment of silence. "Let me go find her. She'll talk to me; she has from day one. I'll bring her back to your place where we can talk." Jack hesitates then finally agrees. Mitchell almost runs to his car and drives out to the park while the others leave base and go home, Daniel tagging along to be the peacekeeper.

Mitchell parks the car and looks around. He then heads down one particular trail and soon reaches the creek. Still on the trail, he walks until he reaches a clearing and there, seated in the middle of the wildflowers is Sarai. He walks over and sits down beside her. After only a second she goes to him and cries on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I just..."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about. Your parents have had as hard a time adjusting to this as you have. They just found out they have a daughter and they are still dealing with that shock. They are simply trying to take care of you. They want what's best for you."

"They are so angry. I never once thought they'd be so angry."

"Well, they've had time to think about it and calm down. Daniel has everyone at your house. I told them I'd take you there so we can talk. They are waiting for us." Sarai stands up and walks a short distance away. Mitchell stands but doesn't follow her. "I don't know if I can. I don't want them to tell me not to see you anymore."

"That won't happen." She spins around to face him. "How can you be so sure? You saw them earlier. Jack looked ready to strangle you." Mitchell chuckles at that image. "That will definitely not happen. He just gets overprotective is all." He extends his hand towards her. "Will you go with me to talk to your parents?" She looks at his hand then at him. "Alright." Taking his hand she moves to his side and tries to smile. Reaching down, he kisses her once, then smiles. "It's going to be just fine. Don't worry."

They arrive at the house twenty minutes later and walk through the door, Sarai still clinging to his hand. She looks around the room at Daniel sitting in the chair and her parents together on the couch. They all turn as the couple walks through the door, everyone noticing immediately the way she's clinging to his hand, and looking very scared as they walk into the room. Sam stands up then and walks over to them. "I'm sorry, both of you. I guess I became overwhelmed by everything and couldn't see things clearly. But, we've been talking and we want you to know that we are glad you found someone to make you happy." Sarai smiles through her worry and embraces her mother. "Thank you." Jack walks over then, his face sober. They both look up at him, but relax when he finally smiles. "I'm sorry, too. But as a father, I'm warning you, Mitchell. Hurt her and you probably won't live to regret it." He nods and shakes Jacks outstretched hand. Daniel walks over then. "Good, now that we have peace again. What do you all say to finding Teal'c and going out for dinner?"

"Sounds good. Let's everyone go home and clean up and we'll meet at O'Malleys around 5." Daniel leaves the family to settle what few feathers may still be ruffled. The four stand near the door for a moment before Sam turns to Jack. "Thank you, Cam. We'll see you at 5." She hugs her friend then hints at Jack. Finally understanding, he turns to Mitchell. "Five o'clock." They both nod and Sam leads Jack out of the room. "Where are we going?" He asks Sam as they keep walking. "We are going to let them alone for a minute."

"Oh." Jack turns and peeks around the corner. "See, I told you it would be alright." Sarai smiles up at Cam. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything. I don't know how I would have survived all of this without you." Stepping towards him, she lays her head on his shoulder and wraps her arms around him. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulls her closer. "Your welcome." Leaning back enough to look into his eyes, she smiles and reaches up to kiss him.

At 5 o'clock, everyone meets at O'Malleys for dinner. Sam and Jack sit together on one side of the table while Sarai and Mitchell sit together on the other side. Daniel and Teal'c sit opposite each other, between the two couples. A little while into their night, Dr. Lam and General Landry arrive and join the growing crowd. The conversation softens and retakes its usual 'friends forever' feel. As they visit, Sam watches her daughter and realizes that Sarai is looking at Cam the same way she still looks at Jack. Smiling to herself she gives Jack's hand a gentle squeeze. When he turns to look at her, she smiles. "Dance with me?" She asks, standing up. Jack follows her to the dance floor. "We made the right choice, Jack." Sam says as they sway to the music, arms wrapped lovingly around each other. He looks down into her soft blue eyes. "About what?"

"Our daughter. Can you see how happy she is? They truly do love each other. Look at them, you can see it." Jack looks over Sam's head and watches his daughter, seeing clearly the love in her eyes. "I guess we did."

When they return to the table and sit down, Jack stands up again. "Sarai, would you care to dance with your old man?" She smiles and takes his hand. Sam, deciding not to be left out, turns to Mitchell. "Cam, care to join me?" The two couples move to the dance floor.

"I'm happy that you are happy." Jack tells his daughter. "Thank you. Dad." She smiles and he grins.

"Sam, I will take good care of her. That's a promise." Sam smiles at her friend. "I know you will."

Sam and Mitchell move closer to Jack and Sarai. "Sarai, can I steal your partner from you?" Sam asks, smiling at her daughter. "Sure. Mom." She watches Sam and Jack move away, dancing with the music. Cam pulls her to him and they follow suit. "I love you, Sarai." He whispers in her ear. "I love you, too." When he suddenly stops and looks into her eyes, she glances around then back at him. Others around them stop to see what's happening and whispers fill the room when he drops to one knee. Sam nudges Jack and points to the center of the dance floor. "Sarai?" He asks, pulling something from his pocket. "Will you marry me?" Slowly opening his hand, he reveals a diamond engagement ring. Sarai looks at the ring and then at Cam. A brilliant smile lights up her face. "Yes." Standing up, he lifts her into his arms and twirls her around before setting her down, then he slips the ring on her finger and kiss her. When they look up, everyone is cheering and clapping. Sarai blushes, burying her face against his chest. He leads her back to their table where Daniel and Teal'c both have congratulations and hugs for the couple.

Sam and Jack return to the table to offer more congratulations and hugs. When they are all seated again, Jack turns to Sam. "You know, I think he may have the right idea."

"About what?"

"This." Jack places something on the table in front of Sam and moves his hand away. Sam gasps and everyone grins. Sitting on the table beside her plate is a diamond engagement ring. She looks at Jack. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Sam teases him and he rolls his eyes. "Samantha Carter, will you do me the honor of being my wife and making this family complete?"

"Yes, sir." She offers with a teasing smile. Jack slips the ring on her finger and kisses her. This time they receive the congratulations. "Oh, by the way Jack." Everyone turns to look at Sam. She smiles and looks up into Jack's brown eyes. "There is something I've been meaning to tell you but couldn't find the right moment until now." Now, with everyone's full attention, Sam continues. "I'm pregnant." Sam hears a gasp from the group at their table but doesn't look away from Jack. She watches his smile fade and then return as everything sinks in. "Really?" She nods. He leans over and kisses her. A second set of congratulations are offered and then Jack says "It better be a boy."

"Why?" Sam asks, a little concerned. Then he smiles at Sarai. "We already have a wonderful daughter." Sam smiles then as Jack reaches over and places his hand over her abdomen.

An hour later, after Landry and Dr. Lam have already left, Daniel and Teal'c pass on more congratulations then bid good night to the two couples before going home. A few minutes later, Mitchell stands up. "I think I'll head home, too." Sarai stands up with him and they both turn to her parents. "Good night, and congratulations." He offers. They stand up and hugs are exchanged before Sarai takes Cameron's hand and they leave the restaurant. Jack looks over at Sam and smiles at her. "You look absolutely beautiful." He tells her then. Taking her hand, he pays the bill and they drive home.

The next two weeks go by quickly for the two couples. With Sam now staying on base due to her pregnancy, Sarai has temporarily taken her place on SG-1. Every spare minute they can find is spent planning Sam and Jack's wedding. At the end of the two weeks, most everyone at the SGC gathers in the gate room for the ceremony. Jack stands at the base of the ramp with Daniel and Teal'c as his best men. Everyone is wearing their dress uniform except Teal'c, who is wearing traditional robes from Chulak and Daniel who is wearing a black tuxedo. The gate is open behind them and as the music starts, Sarai and Cassie, the matrons of honor, step through the gate from the alpha site into the gate room and take their places on the left. They are both wearing full-length lavender dresses with a crown of pink carnations in their hair and are each carrying a single pink rose.

Behind them, Sam steps through the gate on the arm of General Hammond, who flew in special for the occasion with the honor of giving away the bride, and walks down the ramp to join the group. She is wearing a full length white gown with spaghetti straps and elegant beadwork on the bodice. The skirt cascades around her like a waterfall and the short train follows as she descends the ramp. A crown of white carnations accents the veil on her head and she's carrying a bouquet of pink roses and lavender lilies. The gate disengages behind them and General Landry steps forward to begin the ceremony.

As the ceremony progresses, Sarai finds herself glancing over at Cameron, who is standing nearby. Smiling to herself, Sarai admires how handsome her fiancée is in his dress uniform then returns her attention to the ceremony. "Do you, Major General Jack O'Neill take Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" Jack turns to Sam. "I do."

"And do you, Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter take Major General Jack O'Neill to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" Sam smiles up at Jack. "I do."

"Then by the power vested in me by the United States Air Force, I hereby pronounce you as husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Jack lifts the veil and leans forward, kissing Sam as the room goes up in cheers and whistles. When they pull apart, they smile at each other then turn to face General Landry. "Congratulations, both of you." They both salute the general before Jack takes Sam's hand and walk to the door where they stop and turn to face the crowd. Sam turns and tosses the bouquet at the women who'd gathered there. The bouquet falls into Cassie's hands, who frowns up at Sam before the couple turns and disappears down the hallway.

The party moves to the briefing room, which has been cleared and set up for the meal. Jack and Sam return a few minutes later, both now dressed in their uniforms where they cut the cake and share toasts with the group. An hour later they say a final farewell and leave the base, heading for their cabin in Minnesota for a two week honeymoon.

Later that evening, after the party has faded and everyone is back to work or home for the night, Cameron finds Sarai finishing the cleaning from the party. "About finished?" He asks, walking into the now deserted briefing room. She stops to look over and smile at him. "Almost." Throwing away the last of the paper plates, she turns to him. "All right, now I'm finished." He reaches for her hand and they leave the base together, headed for her house. "It was a beautiful wedding." He says as they leave the parking lot. "It was." She agrees. They drive in comfortable silence and soon reach the house. He walks her to the door then accepts when she asks him inside. Quiet to avoid disturbing Cassie, they sneak up to her room.

Because of the wedding, SG-1 has been given the day off to relax before their next mission. Sarai spends the day with Cam at her parents house, just relaxing and visiting. Curled up together on the couch, her head on his shoulder and his arm around her, Sarai thinks back to when this all started. That day when SG-1 had arrived on her planet, searching for anything to help them fight the Ori and instead finding her there. She'd never have guessed then what kind of turns her life would have for her after that. She'd been attracted to Cam from the first time she'd seen him and he'd been a big part of her deciding to go with them to Earth. After discovering who her parents were she'd turned to him for comfort and support. He'd been the only friend she'd had here and it had been out of need that she'd clung to him. But as time went by, she'd made new friends with other members of the SGC and eventually had fallen in love with Cam. The more time they spent together, the more she knew she'd stay here to be with him. Lifting her head, she smiles up at him then kisses him softly before moving away. "I'll be right back." Leaving the couch, she disappears down the hallway.

A few minutes later when she returns, she comes around the corner and stops. He's sitting on the couch with his hands folded behind his head, resting on the back of the couch. His feet are stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankle. His baseball cap is pulled low and his eyes are closed. A smile slowly spreads across her face as she sneaks over to the couch on silent bare feet. Kneeling on the couch, she straddles his lap and waits. Slowly opening his eyes, he looks up into her smiling brown eyes. Without saying a word, she reaches up and takes his hat, tossing it on the table behind her then leans in for a soft kiss. Wrapping his arms around her, he turns them both and lays her on the couch beside him. When they end the kiss, she's still smiling. Smiling back at her, he suddenly grins and begins tickling her. "Stop, stop, please, stop." She asks, giggling profusely. Pinned beneath him, she wiggles to get free but can't move. When he finally stops, he looks down into her beautiful face, smiling at how lucky he is to have found her. "You're mean." She whines, playfully slapping at his shoulder. Still pinned beneath him, she shifts again, trying to get free. He doesn't move, but reaches over and brushes away a strand of hair that has curled onto her face during their tussle. She smiles up at him and welcomes his kiss. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulls him to her.

"Get a room." They hear from the doorway. Smiling at each other, they look up to find Cassie standing there. She frowns at them then turns and walks away. They both laugh and sit up on the couch. A moment later they hear the front door open and close, indicating that Cassie has left. Sarai turns to smile at Cam then gets up from the couch and almost runs up the stairs, knowing he's right behind her.

The following morning, they get up early, shower and have breakfast before going to work. Today is Sarai's first off world mission as Sam's temporary replacement. Temporary at least until after the baby is born. Sam will spend her time on base helping with the gate and working on any new technology they happen to bring back as well as the stuff she's already been working on. They arrive at the SGC and head up for the briefing.

THE END


End file.
